A walk-on safety found himself tasked with making the biggest play in Georgia's biggest game of the season.

With No. 2 Georgia leading 14-0 in the first quarter against No. 8 Arkansas, the Bulldog coaching staff dialed up a punt block. The play called for Dan Jackson to get a running start from the second level, explode through the line, and get his hands on the punt before it took off into the Athens sky.

Jackson did just that. Running back Zamir White fell on the blocked punt in the end zone, giving Georgia a commanding 21-0 lead in a contest it went on to win 37-0.

A year ago, Jackson never would have gotten that call on a big play. Through perseverance and circumstance, he's worked himself into the safety and special teams rotations for the Bulldogs.

Jackson, a redshirt sophomore, spent his first two years in Athens mainly as a scout team player. He redshirted in 2019 and never sniffed the field in either one of those seasons.

He didn't go completely unnoticed. Jackson caught the attention of the coaching staff with his play on the scout team, as well as an eye-opening 4.5 40-yard dash time.

The Bulldogs then lost seven defensive backs to either graduation or transfer from last season's team. In one offseason, Jackson went from buried on the depth chart to near the top.

That opportunity didn't come Jackson's way purely due to the departures. The coaching staff saw the work he put in every day to earn that spot. His teammates noticed as well.

"Every player on the team, when you ask him who they respect, I call on James Cook—who do you respect on the team? The first two guys he mentions are Ladd McConkey and Dan Jackson," head coach Kirby Smart said. "The kids know. Kids see it. He's a special player."

Safety Christopher Smith sees Jackson's work every day. He called Jackson "one of the most humble guys I've ever met," saying he just shows up and works hard every day without much fanfare.

As a walk-on himself, long snapper Payne Walker knows it can be tough at times for those players to see their potential value to the team. However, he said Jackson has never struggled with those feelings of self-doubt.

"I think it’s his overall aura that he gives off of just being an everyday guy that you know is going to show up and show out," Walker said.

Speaking of scholarships, Smart said, "As soon as we can get one for him, we're going to try and do that."

Jackson's play this season shows he's worthy of being a scholarship player. He's played in every game as a reserve defensive back. Jackson has notched seven total tackles through five games.

The biggest play of his career came with that blocked punt against Arkansas. Just like his entire career, it came as the result of hard reps in practice.

Smith said he saw Jackson and the punt block team work that same play dozens of times in practice last week. The design called for Jackson to be the one that came through free and make the play.

When Jackson's hands stifled that Arkansas punt, he announced his name to the college football world. Those in Athens, however, have known it for a long time.

"It’s great to see his work pay off," Smith said. "It’s been continuing to pay off because he’s humble, and a hard-working guy."