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The table is set for the Alaric Jackson Domination Station.
Alaric Jackson – Senior
Detroit, MI (Renaissance)
6’6”, 320 lbs
2020 Projection: Starting left tackle
Iowa got itself a nice little victory in the offseason when Jackson—a fringe first-round but likely second-round pick—announced he was forgoing the NFL draft in order to earn his diploma and boost his stock a bit.
Iowa LT Alaric Jackson said he never even considered turning pro after this year. Hasn't been healthy, still isn't, he added. Wants to improve pass pro especially. Will be a four-year starting left tackle at Iowa.
— Chad Leistikow (@ChadLeistikow) December 28, 2019
The news came on the heels of a decent, albeit disappointing season for Jackson, who missed three games due to injury, and perhaps should’ve sat out at least one more before he returned to people-moving form.
Still, Jackson earned second and third-team all-conference a year ago and is probably a frontrunner to get the nod this year, while a shot at AA status is not out of reach. He’s got 34 career starts under his belt and could stand to leave Iowa as one of its most decorated lineman, if not player overall.
Still, there’s room for Jackson to improve. He (along with the whole line, really) struggled mightily against Michigan last year and has a tendency to get beat if the guy across from him has particularly fancy footwork. We were told the only reason Tristan Wirfs played right tackle, and not the blindside, is because Jackson had serious trouble acclimating to that side of the line.
While that isn’t really an issue now, it’s something NFL types will harangue him for. Luckily, all we have to worry about is how much time he gives Spencer Petras and how big of lanes he creates for Tyler Goodson and the rest of Iowa’s backfield.