Radarious Jackson from Sheffield Football on the last season before Tennessee
The winners of the “Mr. Football” competition Radarious Jackson and Perkins are the stars at the Jamboree
The Southwind, Sheffield and White Station football teams participated in a jamboree on August 15, which also featured two winners of the title of “Mr. Football.”
When you’ve just come off a great football season and, at 6’2″ and can pretty much do anything, sometimes you get thrown at you.
That’s the reality for Radarious Jackson, who has committed to the Tennessee football team to play wide receiver for Sheffield.
“Put the whole team on him,” shouted an opposing fan during Thursday night’s spectacle, which also featured Southwind and White Station at Halle Stadium.
Seconds earlier, Jackson had run a simple go route and jumped up to haul down a 25-yard pass between two defenders.
Such plays lead to double coverage and more. Last season, he was barely affected by that – he managed almost 2,000 yards and reached the end zone 29 times.
“It’s our job to send Radarious around to get one-on-one situations and take advantage of those opportunities,” Sheffield coach Edward Kuykendoll said after the game.
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Jackson finished the night with two catches as he continues to build good chemistry with new starting quarterback Elijah Brinson, who joined the Knights from Craigmont.
“We need to get some things right on offense to make sure we own the ball and have ball security all season,” Kuykendoll said.
Ultimately, he knows he can rely on his experienced receiver to make big plays when it matters.
“I’m confident he can win the 50/50 ball and whatever we throw at him, he’ll do it,” he said.
Jackson on his commitment to Tennessee football
Jackson, a highly coveted four-star recruit, said in an earlier interview that he was relieved to be able to enter his final season without the recruiting questions being resolved and with Knoxville waiting for him on the other side.
“I would say the recruiting process was difficult because there were so many different coaches coming at you,” Jackson said.
The volunteer coaches built a strong bond with Jackson, and those relationships and the visits to Knoxville were key factors in his signing in April.
“What drew me to Tennessee is that I place a lot of emphasis on building relationships with coaches, and I was able to build a bond with (wide receiver) Coach (Kelsey) Pope, Coach (Josh) Heupel and the entire coaching staff,” Jackson said.
On the football side, he likes the team’s vision for Tennessee’s high-powered spread offense, but before that vision becomes a reality, he’s hoping for another stellar high school season and has his sights set on the state championship.
“My goal is to win the Golden Ball,” he said.
Wendell Shepherd Jr. is the high school sports reporter for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Wendell at [email protected]. Follow Wendell on X, formerly known as Twitter, @wendellsjr_.
