Switching to running back last season offered a fresh start to Ja'Quinden Jackson. It elevated Jackson at a moment when he doubted if he still had a future in football at Utah.
The redshirt sophomore began last season as the third-string quarterback behind Cam Rising and Bryson Barnes. His fortunes turned into a new direction when Jackson switched to running back to help shore up backfield depth on the heels of a season-ending injury to Chris Curry and off-the-field issues with Tavion Thomas.
Jackson embraced the change and found new strength in learning a new position.
“There's people out there who look up to me and count on me,” Jackson said. “I'm doing it for them. That's my motivation."
The Utes found a new backfield star in the former quarterback.
Jackson showed off his skills as a speedy and elusive runner over the last half of the 2022 season. He racked up 531 yards and nine touchdowns on 78 carries. Jackson posted back-to-back 100-yard games against Colorado and USC and tallied 8.4 yards per carry over his final three games of the season.
One thing that immediately stands out about Jackson as a runner is his ability to frustrate tacklers and get to the second level. His length and strength make it tough to bring him down in the open field.
“He's able to shed off defenders because he has such long arms and he's able to break tackles which creates space in the open field for him,” Utah running backs coach Quinton Ganther said. “That's what helps him out."
Jackson is feeling more comfortable in his skin as a running back after going through an entire spring at the position. He is picking up on the nuances of what it takes to be consistently productive in the backfield.
“He's not drinking water through a fire hose like he was in week four or five of the season last year,” Utes offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said. “Coach Ganther has done a great job of detailing alignments, assignments, and subtleties of the position that maybe in the course of the season you're trying to force feed it but now in spring ball there's much more time to detail and be much more deliberate with the instructions.”
Jackson concentrated during the spring on improving as a pass catcher. His progress showed in the 22 Forever Game where he tallied 52 yards on two receptions. 45 of those yards came after he made the initial catch.
Expanding his offensive repertoire makes sense. Teams are likely to scout Jackson harder now that there's plenty of film on him and devise ways to stop him. Jackson feels like the depth on offense will help him continue to be his same old explosive self.
“It's not a one-man game,” Jackson said. “There's 11 people on offense and 11 people on defense. If you're just game-planning for me, that's a problem because we've got weapons all over the field.”
Jackson said he's having fun with being a running back. With a full offseason to focus on the position, don't be surprised if he becomes Utah's next 1,000-yard back – adding to a growing tradition of elite running backs within the program.
His coaches expect nothing less than a dynamic runner who will be a game-changer from week one to season's end.
“It's always been in him to compete at any position he plays,” Ganther said. “That's helped him a lot. It's the competitive nature more than anything else.”
