



FRISCO, Texas — Four-star defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson checked into The Opening Finals on Sunday to go head-to-head with the nation’s top talent.

Last month, the Lucedale (Miss.) George County product was back in Tuscaloosa at camp to showcase his ability to the Crimson Tide staff.

“It was good to get extra work in,” Jackson told BamaOnLine. “It’s like a no-days-off-type thing. In the summer it’s not really summer for an athlete, especially being an All-American. So that being said, you’ve got to keep working, keep being consistent. Then at the same time, time’s winding down on my decision-making. Bama is going to be in that category, so I tried to kill two birds with one stone with that visit.”

On paper, you can see the comparisons between Tide defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher and Jackson.

“A lot of people say I’m like Ishmael, but I’m way different,” Jackson said. “I’m a dog; I’m a hard-worker. I don’t know what he is, but people compare me to him. I just know I’m different than him.”

One similarity the two share, is both have been coveted targets of the Alabama staff in recent cycles.

“Basically telling me they’re the best in the country,” Jackson said of the message from the Tide. “Best recruiters, best coaching staff, best nutritionists, best everything … best at helping me in my future.”

The offseason additions of outside linebackers coach Sal Sunseri and defensive line coach Brian Baker to the UA staff were big in Jackson’s eyes.

“It really adds on,” he said. “Coach (Pete) Golding was doing his thing already. Coach Baker came from Mississippi State and Coach Sunseri came from Florida, I mean, that adds on to it. They were recruiting me hard and they didn’t stop when they got there.”

Jackson plans to put out a top five in the next couple of weeks. For now, he’s not showing his cards.

“I have five schools on my mind, but I’m not leaning nowhere,” he said.

Alabama has been recruiting the 6-foot-1.5, 330-pounder for quite a while, which has given Jackson a chance to really understand the opportunity in Tuscaloosa.

“First, it’s close to home,” he said of the Tide. “Then second thing, they have the best everything. They’ve proved it over time with their past draft picks and guys getting their degrees. Jalen Hurts didn’t end up there, but he still had a degree before he left. So that’s one of my goals, to get my degree. They get them in the best shape of their life. Guys change over time. Like Quinnen (Williams), they said when he was in high school he ran like a 5.2 or 5.4 and now at the Draft he ran a 4.8. That’s crazy.”

What’s going to separate one school over another with teams like Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M battling to sign Jackson?

“Just who can be the realest to me and what they can do for me to make me a better person, a better man, a better player in general,” he said. “Just being the best I can be in my lifetime.”

Jackson is rated the No. 10 defensive tackle and the No. 115 overall player in the country, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Rankings.

A decision is expected on National Signing Day in February.