University of South Alabama Athletics

As A Fifth-Year Junior (2021): Started seven of his eight appearances at center his first year with the program, missing four games in the middle of the season due to injury ... Helped anchor a line that saw South average a school-record 256 passing yards per game while posting its best total offense average since 2016 … Earned best overall PFF grade of the season, and the highest mark among all Jaguar linemen in the game, at Texas State … Also earned the highest run blocking grade on the team at Tennessee … Posted season-best run blocking mark in a win over Alcorn State after helping South gain a season-best 236 yards on the ground … Pass protection grade in season finale against Coastal Carolina was best on the team.

State Highlights (2017-20): A part of the program at Mississippi State the last four years ... Appeared in 11 contests, making a pair of starts, for  Bulldog team that would end the season with a victory over Tulsa in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl ... In first career start at Kentucky, anchored unit that saw MSU attempt a Southeastern Conference record 70 passes ... Also started the following week against No. 11 Texas A&M ... Credited with five tackles in eight appearances curing the 2019 campaign as the Bulldogs received an invitation to play in the Music City Bowl ... Posted season-best two tackles at Tennessee, and also made stops against seventh-ranked Auburn and No. 2 LSU as well ... Played in four games on the defensive line as a redshirt freshman as MSU recorded an 8-5 overall mark after appearing in the Outback Bowl ... Redshirted during the 2017 season while the program went 9-4 after claiming a win over Louisville in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

High School Highlights: Earned three stars from Rivals.com, 247Sports.com and ESPN.com coming out of Pascagoula High ... Was ranked among the top 25 recruits in the state by 247Sports.com and ESPN.com as well ... Participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game following the conclusion of his prep career ... Lettered in football, basketball, track and powerlifting at PHS ... Played on both lines for the Panthers, making 26 tackles when he was a senior to help the team reach the state 5A playoffs ... Credited with 30 stops his junior season to help PHS go 9-4 overall after earning a first-round victory in the state playoffs.

Personal: Full name is James Ke’darius Jackson ... Born Nov. 5, 1998, in Pascagoula, Miss. ... Son of James Walker and Melissa Jackson ... Favorite movie is “Who’s Your Caddy?” ... Favorite food is lasagna ... Likes to play video games in his spare time ... Is working toward a second degree in interdisciplinary studies.