March 25, 2007

Major d-line target names leaders, visits

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With eight major offers on the table, Toby Jackson now has the option to formulate a top five. Did Clemson find its way into the cream of the crop for the talented defensive lineman out of Griffin (GA)?

"I'd say my top five would be Florida State, Tennessee, Georgia, Clemson and Mississippi," Jackson told Tigerillustrated.com in a weekend interview. "I'm going to Alabama this weekend so they might move up into my top five after that."

Jackson is sure about what he wants to see from a school.

"I'm looking for a place where I can get a good education, a school that has a good home style environment so my family can come visit me on weekends and a place where I can play as a true freshman," he continued. "I plan on taking (my official visits) during the season and making a decision a week or two before National Signing Day."

What are Jackson's thoughts on the Tigers and the rest of the schools that have offered?

Clemson - "I'm hopefully going to visit there the weekend after this one. (Defensive line) coach (Chris) Rumph is really cool. He's laid back. They have a lot of tradition. I like their style of play - they chase the football. I'm probably going to watch one of their practices and see what I like about the place when I visit."

Alabama - "I'm going there this weekend. I want to see the environment, meet the coaches and see why I should go there."

Louisville - "That's a really good program. I like their style of play. They are a good team."

Oklahoma - "They are a good school, too. Their offense is big and their defense is really good."

Auburn - "They have a good atmosphere there."

Ole Miss - "I'm trying to get there soon. I like them."

Tennessee - "I went to their game against LSU last year. Who wouldn't love playing in front of 100,000 fans? I love their fans and the environment there."

Georgia - "I watched them play last year, too. They have a good atmosphere. Coach G (defensive line coach Rodney Garner) is cool."

Beyond a trip to Clemson, the 6-foot-4, 244-pound Jackson hopes to make the trek to FSU and Georgia during his spring break.

Recruited by all the schools to play defensive end, the standout totaled 56 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks as a junior. He has a 2.6 GPA and scored a 19 on ACT.

*** Clemson is familiar with Griffin. In 2002 the school sent defensive tackle Donnell Clark to the Tigers.

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