Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and offensive tackle Donovan Jackson are two of the best sophomore recruits in the country, and in the past week both have received offers from Stanford. Jackson announced his offer Wednesday and he attends the same high school as current Cardinal left tackle Walker Little.
Little was a top-10 overall recruit, according to Rivals, and he left Texas for The Farm despite offers from pretty much every school that fields a football team. Jackson is on his way to being a similar recruit. He reports offers from 21 schools, including Texas, Alabama, Georgia and others.
"The offer was unexpected because of the standards that a prestigious school like Stanford sets," Jackson messaged Cardinal Sports Report. "I definitely was excited to hear the good news. Stanford was one of the schools that I sought an offer from, so it was good to see all the hard work on the field and the classroom pay off."
Jackson hasn't spoken with Little yet about his experiences at Stanford, but said he can see that Little is a better lineman now and that excites him.
It's remarkable to watch Jackson, marvel at his size and athleticism, and then do a double take when reminded that he's a sophomore. He has the size of a senior in high school and his footwork and technique is advanced. The competition he faces is overmatched against him, but he impresses regardless of who he lines up against.
This is the evaluation from Rivals analyst Josh Helmholdt at the All-American Bowl Underclassmen Combine in January.
"There were several offensive linemen who participated in Friday’s combine and caught our eye, but Jackson may have been the overall most impressive. That is saying something considering the Houston native is just a class of 2021 prospect. Jackson has great size and long arms that should play well at left tackle. He also has great feet and a strong base that won him a lot of reps."
Stanford offered Egbuka Feb. 6 and he already has a good relationship with Cardinal coaches Tavita Pritchard and Bobby Kennedy. Egbuka reports a 4.0 GPA.
"They are at my school almost every week and I call them a lot. They just seem like real genuine people and I connected with them the first time we talked."
Egbuka can do it all on the field. He has a combination of size, speed and athleticism that allows him contort his body to make tough catches and stick the landing. And whenever he has a chance to breakaway he seems to be able to.
Pritchard and Kennedy told Egbuka they believe he can make an immediate impact on The Farm.