Jackson 'fell in love' with UCF as a school and football program

Samuel Jackson committed to UCF on Monday, becoming the Knights' 14th pledge in the Class of 2017 recruiting cycle.

Reflecting on his decision, the Bradenton (Fla.) Lakewood Ranch offensive lineman couldn't help but think back of his chance encounter with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden, who offered advice that eventually led him to where he is today.

"When I was coming back from U.S. Army All-American Combine in San Antonio, heading back to Tampa and connecting for a flight in the Houston airport, Jon Gruden was there," Jackson said. "He had just broadcast a Houston Texans game and was coming back to Tampa as well. It was just a lucky encounter. We've always been big Bucs fans. We started talking and he gave me some advice about recruiting. He told me to go to a school where if I didn't play football that I would still want to go. UCF is one of those schools for me. I fell in love with everything, the school, the program, the coaches. It's all positives. No negatives."

Jackson was offered by Al Golden's Miami staff during his 10th grade year. UCF followed suit earlier this spring as did USF.

"It was back in March I think," Jackson said of the initial UCF interest. "My coach took me and a couple other players over to watch a spring practice, but it also turned into a recruiting thing for me. I talked to Coach (Greg) Austin. When I got home, I got the word that they were offering me. He said he saw something in me."

From there, Jackson became a frequent visitor. He returned shortly thereafter for the Junior Day, then the spring game. He participated in UCF's individual camp in early June. Once July arrived, his decision was made.

"I made up my mind a few weeks ago, but that was also when the dead period started," Jackson said. "From there we decided to set up a date where I could come over and visit. (Monday) just happened to be the day. I feel like they knew I was ready to commit. I didn't say anything right away, but I'm sure the subtle hints my mom dropped were pretty obvious.

"When we arrived we went and toured the school first. At the end, in the office, is when I finally told them. Coach (Scott) Frost, Coach Austin and Coach (Ryan) Held were all in the room. My mom started off by asking a bunch of questions. Then after that, I told them I was ready to commit. Coach Austin actually screamed. He was so happy."

Austin is a big reason why Jackson liked UCF so much.

"We have a very good relationship," Jackson said. "From the first time I visited, he wanted to build that relationship. He's gotten to know my mom and even my girlfriend too. He really reminds me of one of my old coaches that I really loved. It's been great. I'm really excited for him to coach me."

The 6-foot-6, 310-pounder has the flexibility to play either the tackle or guard positions.

"Coach Austin really likes my athleticism," Jackson said. "He likes how I can get to the second level of the defense. That's what they're looking for in their zone offense. You have to be fast enough to get on the outside. He said he sees me as a tackle who could play guard if they needed me to switch. He's hoping I can come in and make an impact in my first year."

UCF is off to its fastest recruiting pace in school history so there a lot of future teammates Jackson is becoming familiar with. He's the fourth offensive lineman to commit, joining Julio Castillo, Viktor Beach and Sebastien Dolcine. Jackson has previously crossed paths with quarterback commit Marvin Washington.

"I've known him since I was young," Jackson said. "We were on a 7-on-7 team that had kids from the Bradenton area and also Orlando. He was my QB. I haven't met any of the other recruits. I'm now in the group chat on Twitter. I'm sure we'll all meet up at one of the games this season."

Just as excited as he is about football, Jackson is equally excited about his academic future at UCF.

"I'm an academic kid," he said. "Of course everybody wants to go to the NFL, but academics have been stressed to me since I was a little kid. I want to be a sports psychologist. My first question I ever had was if psychology was an available major at UCF. I actually toured the psychology building on my visit."