Indiana Nabs Second Transfer of the Day in UCLA LB Myles Jackson
/Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)
Tom Allen and his staff have hit the transfer portal hard this offseason after a disappointing 2-10 campaign last season, and they found another piece to add to the defense in former UCLA linebacker Myles Jackson. Jackson entered the portal the day after the Bruins final game of the regular season and narrowed down his list to a final four schools (Indiana, Jackson State, Georgia State, and East Carolina) on Christmas Eve. He ultimately decided to pledge his allegiance to the Hoosiers after recently visiting Bloomington.
Jackson was a three-star recruit out of high school out of Mill Creek HS in Georgia. He enrolled early at UCLA and participated in two practices before sessions were shut down due to COVID-19. He suffered a season-ending knee injury one game into his true freshman season before recording six tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery in seven games with UCLA in 2021. With the one-year COVID eligibility waiver, Jackson still has four years of eligibility remaining.
Jackson is a highly athletic piece for Indiana’s defense. UCLA Coach Chip Kelly raved about Jackson’s drive while he was a member of the Bruins, even battling back from injury.
“When it happened, I pretty much tried to think of all the positive aspects that come out of it,” Jackson said. “I tried to get my playbook, I still tried to be around the team, I tried to attend walkthroughs and things like that.”
Jackson projects to play the bull position for IU, which will give Indiana quality depth at that spot. His athleticism should stand out in that room and provide the Hoosiers with some lineup flexibility.