In a little bit of a twist to the early signing period for college football, which is officially on Wednesday, Buchholz’s Kendall Jackson announced on Tuesday that he was signing with Texas A&M University.
Jackson, who recently decommitted from the University of Florida and committed to the University of Miami, said he made the decision on Sunday.
It wasn’t too surprising when Jackson decided to sign his NIL with the Aggies.
Earlier this month, A&M hired recently fired Florida defensive line coach Sean Spencer for the same position in College Station (Texas).
“It played a good part actually,” Jackson said. “We (Coach Spencer) have a great relationship. We continued our relationship as he left and he continued to talk with me. It was one thing that made me want to go and be with Coach Spencer.”
But Jackson (6’4, 250) said his conversation with new head coach Mike Elko sealed the deal.
“When we got to talk, it felt real genuine,” he said. “We got to talk about a few things, and him being a defensive-minded coach, it made me know that defensively I’ll be good.”
This past season, Jackson helped lead a Buchholz defense that only allowed 13.6 points per game and advanced to the Class 4S state semifinals before falling at home to eventual state champion Lakeland.
“Kendall has been a highly recruited dude for a long time,” said Buchholz football coach Chuck Bell. “He’s had a lot of suitors after him for a long time. If he were not to be so humble and such a good teammate, that could tarnish things. What he has meant to us is just being a four-year Bobcat that has left his mark on the program and really solidified the idea that for us, specifically on defense and D-line, we can put out high level defensive linemen. It’s been an awesome four years with Kendall.”
Jackson (40 tackles, three sacks, 4 TFL in 12 games in 2023), is rated the No. 45 overall player in Florida by 247Sports.
Last year as a junior, Jackson was a Mainstreet Daily News All Area selection after accumulating 54 tackles, 18 TFL, 10 sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery despite battling injuries.
Jackson was also a part of three state semifinal appearances at Buchholz.
While Jackson was a bit of a surprise, there was zero uncertainty surrounding where Buchholz linebacker Myles Graham (6’1, 221) would end up.
Graham, who is the No. 13 overall senior in Florida according to 247Sports, is the son of former Gator running back Earnest Graham.
“I’ve been dreaming about this for my whole life and for it to come true means everything to me,” Graham said. “It’s special (to wear the orange & blue). It just means more to me because we all went to the University of Florida. My mom, my dad, and my sister, they all went there so it just means everything. I’m going to put my heart and soul into the orange and blue.”
Both father and son were decked out in Gator attire in the BHS auditorium.
“It’s surreal,” said the elder Graham, who starred at Florida from 1998 to 2002 before signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “A lot of things are coming full circle with him committing here at the University of Florida. It’s something he has dreamed about for quite some time. To see him work as hard as he did and set his sights on it, and ultimately accomplish it, but also communicate a higher meaning for himself and for his family, is very important for us. It’s hard to put into words but we’re extremely proud of him.”
The senior is rated the No. 7 overall linebacker in the country.
In just one season with the Bobcats, Graham was second on the team with 82 tackles and he was third on the team with nine tackles for a loss. He also added three sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
Bell said there were other characteristics about Graham that set him apart.
“If he would have come in here and not been the humble, well-mannered, great teammate that he is, this team probably doesn’t go as far as they do, this team probably doesn’t mesh as well as they did, but what Myles brought to us is obviously the talent aspect. He’s a guy that leads by example. Since day one he was the first one in the weight room in the morning, the last to leave the locker room in the evenings, a guy that showed people that if you want to be one of the best in the country it’s more than just showing up.”
He showed his versatility by playing on the offensive side of the ball too, finishing with 598 yards on 62 carries (9.65 average) with 17 TDs.
In September, Graham was recognized as Athlete of the Week after rushing for 204 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries (22.7 yards per carry), including a career-long 97-yard TD run, as the Bobcats defeated visiting Creekside (St. Johns), 49-20, in the 4S-District 3 opener.
The trend of sending players to SEC schools continues for the Bobcats, who have had five players sign in two years.
Last year, quarterback Creed Whittemore (Mississippi State), wide receiver Jaren Hamilton (Alabama), and defensive lineman Gavin Hill (Florida) started the pipeline.