2/28/2023 football Edit

Four-star LB Kari Jackson commits to Penn State

Dylan Callaghan-Croley • Happy Valley Insider

Editor

Penn State added to their 2023 recruiting class on Tuesday morning as four-star linebacker Kari Jackson announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Jackson is a Rivals250 prospect, sliding in at No.193 in the most recent rankings update from earlier this month and is also ranked as the sixth best player in the state of Michigan and the eighth best inside linbeacker.

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The West Bloomfield (MI) native committted to the Nittany Lions over Cincinnati, UCF, Missouri, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Stanford among other offers, totaling over 20 prior to his commitment.

"I would for sure say that the team culture they built over the years," is what Jackson told Rivals national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove regarding his decision. "You can see that storng between them like brothers and the coaches are like their parents, kind of like their mentors and father figures at college. That's one of the biggest things I love about it, their strong culture and the love for their players.

Outside of head coach James Franklin, Jackson also credits recruiting coordinator Alan Zematias as a big reason for his commitment to the Nittany Lions. Jackson previously told Nittany Nation the following about his relationship with the former Nittany Lion cornerback, "He's a cool guy, we kind of just talked more about life outside of Penn State. Giving me his perspective on how it was to go to Penn State and then we talk about stuff outside of football," he said. "He asked me about school, he had a regular conversation. He can give me that inside, give me some stories about him at Penn State and all the things you have to go through. So it's kind of good to get that from a football player that's played there."

His relationship with defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has only grown stronger over the last several months including during his junior day visit last month.

Now, Jackson will look to follow in the footsteps of past Penn State linebackers and continue to build the legacy of Linebacker U. ""It means everything to me to take on that legacy and me being able to take on that legacy and treat that like my family," Jackson said. "You're born into a family and you take that legacy on, do things the right way to increase and build that legacy."

Penn State's 2024 recruiting class to date

With Jackson, the Nittany Lions 2024 recruiting class now features three commitments, all being Rivals250 prospects. Jackson joins the likes of four-star offensive lineman Cooper Cousins and four-star inside linebacker Anthony Speca, both in-state prospects as part of the class.

The Nittany Lions' 2024 recruiting class currently ranks 20th nationally with their three commitments.

With Jackson's commitment, the Nittany Lions in the 2024 recruiting class are likely done at the inside linebacker position with both Jackson and Speca projecting to be middle linebackers at the next level. However, the Nittany Lions remain in the running for several outside linebackers including Virginia's Kris Jones, Maryland's Aaron Chiles, Michigan's Jeremiah Beasley, Ohio's Brian Robinson, and Mississippi's Jamonta Waller.