— Savion Jackson is not only well-known around the Carolinas, but the Clayton junior has quickly become a highly-sought recruit nationwide among the top football programs in the country.

Jackson is ranked No. 2 in North Carolina and No 34 nationally by 247 Sports.

As a sophomore, Jackson finished with 56 total tackles and led the Comets with 37 solo tackles, 20 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He also tallied one forced fumbled, one fumble recovery and a blocked punt.​

Oklahoma joined the list of Jackson’s suitors on Tuesday, extending the standout lineman his 19th scholarship.

The Sooners join Alabama, Ohio State and Penn State among national powerhouses to offer Jackson.

An official visit has not been lined up at Oklahoma, but Jackson said he is honored to receive a scholarship from a school that doesn’t regularly highly recruit the area.

“I’ll talk it over with my mom and coaches,” he said. “It was a good feeling to get it, because I know it doesn’t happen all the time from North Carolina.”

Jackson also holds offers from Appalachian State, Boston College, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Louisville, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Although he isn’t ready to release a top list of schools, Jackson said his favorite visit was at Alabama in late January.

“It was a good trip, a good experience,” Jackson said. “You see them on TV, and then you see all the good stuff you’ve heard about them. Just seeing it in person is also good.”

Jackson said he spoke with Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban shortly in his office and thoroughly enjoyed their conversation.

“We talked about how I’m important to them and how they really wanted me,” he said.

Long distance isn’t a deal breaker for the four-star lineman, but Jackson said it would have to be a perfect fit for consideration.

“If it’s going to be a pretty good distance school, it will have to fit all my needs and everything I’m looking for,” he said. “I definitely don’t want to go too far. But if I do have to go far, it’ll just have to be a school that really fits me.”

Closer to home, NC State has heavily recruited Jackson. Conveniently, the Wolfpack has someone close to Jackson helping its cause – Clayton senior wide receiver Devin Carter.

Carter, a close friend of Jackson, committed to NC State in May.

Jackson said the advice from Carter, on-and-off the football field, has been instrumental to his success.

“He shows me how to work hard all the time; his grind is crazy,” Jackson said. “He’s always going at it. He’s working out just after we lift weights, so he’s given me a good look at working hard and grinding.”

Social media has become a huge facet in recruiting, and Jackson said it’s a welcomed part of the process.

“It’s easier to communicate with coaches,” he said. “They can just find you on Twitter, DM you and get your number. You just have to be careful with what you put on social media and monitor it, because you can lose stuff for just saying something simple.”

With recruits posting offers on Twitter, and anyone having access to comment, Jackson said many players have tried to influence his decision.

Jackson says Sanderson’s Alim McNeill – a four-star defensive lineman and NC State commit – has been the most active with him on social media.

“Every time I get an offer he’ll just say four letters – NOPE,” he said. “He’ll retweet it and put that, so it’s always funny to see."

Throughout the recruiting process, Jackson says he’s reminded of the road he’s taken and the hard work that’s given him the opportunity to make his dream a reality.

“When I was a freshman, I always thought there was no way I could get an offer,” Jackson said. “I thought it was the hardest thing ever, because I’d never experienced it with anybody else. I just started working hard. In games, I would just run to the ball – I would sprint. I would give it everything I got, and I started getting attention.

“Where I am now, it’s a blessing from God. I’ve got a lot of people behind me and pushing me. It’s a great experience.”