ANN ARBOR — When freshman Giles Jackson first arrived at Michigan, he had no idea he would be returning kicks, let alone become the team’s leading kick returner.
“I just started catching punts and kicks and, just as time went, they named me the starter and I took over,” he said on Tuesday night.
Jackson leads Michigan with 362 kickoff return yards on 14 attempts, and one touchdown that he scored returning the opening kickoff against Maryland, for an average of 25.9 yards per return. That average has him tied for fourth in the Big Ten, and he also has fewer attempts than anyone ahead of him on that list.
But when Jackson first got involved with special teams, his goals were pretty simple.
“The first time I did it, definitely just catching the ball,” he said. “I was just nervous, like I hope I don't drop it. But you've just got to read the blocks, be patient with it. You can't force anything too fast.
“The first one I did I was extremely nervous. I caught the ball and I was like panicking. But now in recent weeks I catch the ball, take my time, find where to go, and just run through it.”
Now, Jackson enjoys kick returning so much that he says he’s “sick” when opposing teams kick the ball over his head. Considering he’s in a pretty deep position group at wide receiver with Ronnie Bell, Nico Collins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Tarik Black ahead of him on the depth chart, Jackson knew pretty early on that relishing those opportunities on special teams would be crucial to seeing playing time on the field.
But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t an adjustment process. The Oakley, Calif., native was rated as a four-star recruit in high school and had 13 Division I offers. Jackson, as well as most of the other freshmen on Michigan’s team, weren’t used to having to fight for playing time in high school.
“You have to humble yourself a lot,” Jackson said. “High school, everybody knows you're the guy and you do what you want to do. Here, it's a reality check. Everybody here is just like you were in high school, so you have to grind every day, pay attention, take the notes, do everything that counts, and just keep going.”
In recent weeks, with his production on special teams, Jackson has seen increased reps and touches on the offense. His first career touchdown came against Rutgers on a 23-yard reception and, against Michigan State last Saturday, the former running back provided “speed in space,” a new wrinkle, rushing for 32 yards on two carries.
Jackson said his expanded playing time has been a result of him paying attention to details, something that offensive coordinator Josh Gattis stresses.
“Showing every step in a route,” Jackson said. “We can't take a play off or for granted. We're never going to get a play back. We just have to do every play to our fullest ability.”
Throughout his journey this season, Jackson has also relied on his bond with the other freshmen on Michigan’s team, and especially his fellow freshmen receivers Mike Sainristil, Cornelius Johnson, and George Johnson.
The freshmen have their own locker room, go to the movies together after games, and have a group chat (that Jackson says he is the most talkative in). While they are all concentrating on the little details in their current roles, it doesn’t stop them from talking about their futures at Michigan.
“Me, Mikey, CJ, George, we'll all talk about how next year or as time goes on we'll be the big receivers on campus and we just gotta keep grinding,” he said. “One day we'll get to it.”
First Published November 20, 2019, 3:09 a.m.