When Donovan Jackson moved to left tackle for Ohio State’s eighth game of the season against Penn State, he initially hoped his stay on the outside would be only temporary.
“My first time playing it, I initially didn't really like it,” Jackson said. “I thought, ‘OK, when can I go back to guard?’ (Ohio State offensive line coach Justin) Frye was like, ‘What are you talking about?’”
It didn’t take long for Jackson’s perspective to change.
Jackson’s move to left tackle started with one of the most difficult matchups possible. In his first-ever collegiate game as a tackle, Jackson went head-to-head with unanimous All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Abdul Carter. Jackson’s inexperience as a pass protector on the edge showed in that game as Carter beat him for two sacks.
In his second start as Ohio State’s left tackle, however, Jackson dominated his competition as he helped lead the Buckeyes to a 45-0 win over Purdue. After that game, Jackson felt confident in his ability to continue playing tackle for the rest of the season.
“After the Purdue game is when I was like, ‘We may have got something here,’” Jackson recalled. “That's when I kind of went to Mike Sollenne, our GA, and I was like, ‘I'm actually having a lot of fun playing this.’ And he just kind of gave me the ‘I told you so’ look.”
Now seven games into playing LT for the Buckeyes, Jackson says he’s enjoying his new role far more than he thought he would initially.
“I'm definitely having a lot more fun playing tackle than I thought I'd be,” Jackson said Wednesday. “With more reps comes more confidence … The more games I play, the more practices I have, the more I realize tackle is actually really fun to play. Obviously, I have a lot of guys helping me out, but it’s just having more fun with it. And the more fun you play, the more free you play.”
Despite his inexperience as a tackle before November, Jackson has become a dominant player at his new position in Ohio State’s College Football Playoff run. He hasn’t allowed any sacks in his last six games, all the while facing a cadre of elite pass rushers that’s included the likes of Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. and Oregon’s Jordan Burch and Matayo Uiagalelei in the Buckeyes’ first two CFP games.
Having played guard for his entire Ohio State career until November, Jackson has had to learn a lot on the fly over the past two months. Pass blocking has been the biggest adjustment, as Jackson has had to learn how to pass protect without having help on his outside.
“A lot of people have put their best edge rushers on you on an island for a reason. There is no help,” Jackson said. “At guard, you have a finite box between the center and the tackle next to you, so your guy has to go to work basically right in front of you. But at tackle that guy has a two-way go on you. So you have to be disciplined in your feet … You have to be disciplined in where you're going. You can't over-set, you can't under-set, because that's when you get your hand swiped. You have to be good with your hands, because if you don't get your hands on them, the elite edge rushers are going to get right past you. So there's a lot of stuff that goes into being a tackle. But guard is just as hard, there's different aspects in there, too.”
Despite the steep learning curve, Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly isn’t surprised by Jackson’s success. And he appreciates Jackson’s selflessness in moving to tackle, which came after Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending injury, even though he would have ideally preferred to stay at guard.
“You never know because he didn't have the experience and the reps there, but I knew he had the skill level and the talent and really the mindset to do it. So when he actually kicked out there and did it, it didn't surprise me,” Kelly said Wednesday. “But I was really happy for him because that goes back to the selfless thing. There's a lot of guys that say, ‘Hey, well, this could hurt my draft stock,’ but I don't think Donnie's concerned with his draft stock. I think what Donnie's concerned with is leaving a lasting legacy here. And I would say what he did is he's actually improved his draft stock. But there are some guys that are afraid of change and they don't want to be uncomfortable, and for him, he relished it. But it tells you the type of person he is.”
One reason why Ohio State felt confident moving Jackson outside was because of how they saw him hold his own against Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau and Ohio State’s other defensive ends in practice. Going against them has given him confidence that he can handle any edge rusher who lines up opposite him.
“I practice against two really good edge rushers every day. I have no choice but to get better. If not, I'm going to get exposed every day in practice,” Jackson said. “Jack and JT, Kenyatta (Jackson Jr.), Caden (Curry), all those guys have helped me progress in my game at tackle. They make it hard in practice so in the games I'm able to execute at a high level.”
Jackson will face another elite group of pass rushers on Friday as Ohio State faces Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns rank fourth in the nation (one spot behind Ohio State) with 44 sacks this season, led by a dynamic group of edge players that includes star freshman Colin Simmons (nine sacks) and veterans Trey Moore and Barryn Sorrell (5.5 sacks).
“Their pass rush is relentless,” Jackson said. “They have a talented group of guys. You can tell that they're very disciplined in what they do. They have guys who can beat you around the edge. They have guys who can go through you. … They do a great job defeating hands and getting an edge and stacking you on your hip and getting around to the quarterback. So (Josh) Fryar and I, at least all the tackles in the room, we know we have our work cut out for us.”
That said, Jackson’s Ohio State coaches and teammates are confident he’ll rise to the occasion just as he has for the past two months.
“I mean, if you were to build an offensive lineman, then I'd probably just point you to Donovan Jackson,” Ohio State guard Luke Montgomery said Monday. “He's tremendous at all levels. He can get to the second level. He's fast. He's very strong, obviously, and he can play all five positions. And if I was an NFL guy, I don't know why I wouldn't pick Donovan Jackson.”
Jackson said he doesn’t need any extra motivation to give everything he has in the Cotton Bowl, given that a berth in the national championship game is on the line, but he might get some anyway from playing in his home state. The Bellaire, Texas, native said he was able to get 21 tickets to distribute to his family members and friends back home – some of whom have never seen him play an Ohio State game in person before – and he’ll be looking to give them a reason to cheer for him and his Buckeye teammates on Friday.
“It means the world to me,” Jackson said of playing in his home state. “I grew up in Houston, which is still a little ways from Dallas, but Texans make the drive to anything. Being able to see this stadium as a kid, being able to see this bowl game as a kid, sitting in front of my couch watching this, it’s a surreal moment for me being able to play in the College Football Playoffs with the guys I work so hard with. My parents know how much this means to me, and being able to play in front of the state I grew up in and the fans I grew up with is a huge accomplishment for me.”
