Freshmen adjust to college football

By Lee Zucker and Lenny Goldman

Published Aug. 21, 2008

While most freshmen are settling into their new home, Blaine Gabbert and Jerrell Jackson are also trying to win a national championship. Gabbert, the five-star recruit from Parkway West High school in St. Louis, Mo., is adjusting to a backup role, while the lesser-known Jackson has seized every opportunity and earned himself some playing time.

Gabbert shifts from high school star to college backup

Alabama, Clemson, Iowa, Kansas State, Miami (Ohio) and Nebraska are just six of the 30 programs that recruited Blaine Gabbert at quarterback.

As a tall and sturdy 6-foot-5-inch, 225-pound freshman, Gabbert's high school performance was nothing less than extraordinary.

His All-American status and five-star recruit ranking earned him a spot on the Missouri roster, but playing time is hard to come by on this team.

"He's the most physically gifted quarterback to come out of high school that I've seen in six years as far as size, speed, arm strength and release," said David Yost, quarterback coach and recruitment coordinator. "If you were to build a quarterback, you would build a guy like Blaine Gabbert.”

For this season, Gabbert waits behind senior quarterbacks Chase Daniel and Chase Patton. With the publicity of his high school football days gone, Gabbert must wait his turn on the bench. But Gabbert said his changeover to the world of Big 12 football has been far from shocking.

"You're never just going to walk in and be the main quarterback," Gabbert said. "I just have to learn as much as I can in the position from the two guys ahead of me. They're unbelievable quarterbacks and I just learn from them every day. Overall, Gabbert's transitions to the college life both on and off the field have been smooth, he said.

As a business major, he's taking some general requirement courses. He's pleased with his living situation and roommate in the residence halls and had no problem finding his books, but one thing he misses is his own bedroom at home.

"The hardest thing has been time management," Gabbert said. "You have long days, you need time to get your rest in."

Although transitions can be a challenge, Gabbert continues to learn and cope with the differences between the college and high school playing fields.

"It's different adjusting to the speed of the games," he said. "The defense disguises stuff a lot more. In general, there's a kind of adjustment period that you have to go through."

It's the adjustment of the speed that Yost sees as Gabbert's weakness as a rookie to the college football atmosphere.

"Because he's so big and strong and fast he could get himself out of trouble, the difference now is that he's playing against Big 12 defenses," Yost said. "He can't make every play, he needs to understand that you can't make every play every time."

Gabbert's struggles now won't take long to fade, Blaine's high school coach Mike Roth said.

"Blaine is not scared to work," Roth said. "He'll put in the hours. He's been working all of his life to be a college quarterback. He worked extremely hard not only during the season, but his work efforts during the offseason were tremendous as well."

The offseason work has begun to pay of in Gabbert's hope of becoming a college quarterback.

"I think he can be a great player for us," Yost said. "We have high expectations for him, and I think he has high expectations for himself as well.

Little known recruit makes big name for himself

To beat defensive backs down the field, he must be explosive and quick, but freshman wide receiver Jerrell Jackson's real secret to success is patience.

After Jackson's junior year of high school in Texas, he received no attention from recruits, he didn't gain much more notoriety by simply matching his 14 touchdown receptions in his senior campaign.

"I was just still thinking positive," Jackson said. "Hoping whatever happens happens. When Missouri came it was a blessing."

The two-star recruit eventually signed with Missouri and found himself jumbled on a depth chart filled with highly talented receivers.

"I've just been working hard going under the wings of the veterans. (Wide receivers) Tommy Saunders, Jared Perry - that's my big brother — and J-Mac (Jeremy Maclin),” Jackson said.  "They have all been taking us under their wings. We're here every day studying them plays. I just try to show it on the field."

Jackson's performance on the field has been enough to earn him some playing time. Jackson is one of eight true freshmen that Coach Gary Pinkel said could see playing time this season, according to a news release.

Neither Rolandis Woodland nor Wes Kemp, also freshman receivers, were on that list, yet both were higher ranked recruits that Jackson.

Coach Gary Pinkel said the amount of stars an individual receives through the recruiting process is something he doesn't look at to determine value.

"That's one thing on our evaluation system we don't have, is how many stars are next to your name," Pinkel said.

With the junior wide receivers Perry and Danario Alexander injured, Jackson has been getting reps with both the first and second team offense.

"He's a very good athlete," Pinkel said. "He's got very good quickness and he's explosive. He made some tough catches today in traffic, which was good. He just gets better and better every day."

While Pinkel doesn't like to make comparisons, he seemed to call plays for Jackson like he does for Maclin.

"He's a high level athlete," Pinkel said. "He does punt returns, kick returns, reverses... Hopefully he'll work his way in kind of like Danario Alexander and Jared Perry did as freshman. As the season went on we played them more and by the end of the season they were making plays."

Jackson said he has intentions on making plays next week against Illinois.

"I can just show them that I should have been something that I wasn't coming out of high school," he said. "I want to show everybody what I am, who I am. My high school, we wasn't a real big school. We weren't the dime of the schools in our district. I want to come out and represent for that."