DT Davin Jackson of Sumter continued what is a busy week for him with a four-hour unofficial visit to USC on Wednesday. Sunday Jackson was at NC State. First thing Thursday morning he will be back in Columbia for ACL surgery to be performed by Dr. Jeff Guy, the orthopedic surgeon for the Gamecocks.
Jackson had not had an opportunity for a close look at things at USC this summer. He was not strongly on the Gamecocks’ radar until a camp performance in June earned him an offer. Wednesday he spent most of the day with defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey who showed him the ins and outs of the program.
“We toured the indoor facility first, saw the weight room and things like that,” Jackson said. “Very nice facility, very big. I got to see the coaches again, which is great, always being able to talk to the coaches in person. I got to see the campus. I got to see a dorm. It was a great experience being able to actually see that in person for the first time.”
Jackson said Lindsey has let him know he wants him in the program and is willing to take a commitment if and when it comes. He said Lindsey spelled out for him why USC would be the best place for him.
“It’s a great school, academics are great, and they will develop me as a player and things like that,” Jackson said. “It was good hearing that come from him. I would be with the nutritionist with a meal plan, and they will get that all set up. It will develop my body whether I need to gain weight, lose weight, get more lean or things like that. They see me as an inside guy.”
Jackson had planned to make a commitment announcement Sunday. He still might do so. But coming off of surgery, and the effect of the medications on him, Jackson isn’t sure he’ll be clear-headed enough to think things thru.
“I want to commit on August 1st, but since I’m having this surgery, if I feel loopy or something like that, and I know I’ll be really tired, the medicine is going to make me act a little different, if that happens and I feel sick that day, I just might chill out that day,” Jackson said. “I’ll probably give it a week until I announce it when I’m actually all together.”
Jackson said he’s still in the decision-making process with four schools weighing on him mind and heart.
“It’s going to be hard,” Jackson said. “I’m going to weigh out my pros and cons between certain schools and we’ll see how it goes. Right now, it’s South Carolina, NC State, Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina. I really like Syracuse, but I feel like it’s a little too far for my family. And it’s very cold up there and I don’t think I’ll do too well with that.”
If he is able to announce on Sunday, Jackson has set 8:00 PM for the time and Instagram as the primary outlet.
