Drake Jackson

Golden Nuggets

• Was teammates with current 49ers S and 2021 5th-round draft pick Talanoa Hufanga for two seasons (2019-20) with the Trojans.
• His biggest inspiration is his late grandmother, Cynthia Cavitt, who loved to follow her grandson's football career long before others did. "Drake was her little celebrity," Jackson's father, Dennis, said. In Jackson's first game following his grand- mother's passing, he hauled in his second career INT and was "happy that he did it for her" in the win over San Jose State.

Golden Nuggets

• Was teammates with current 49ers S and 2021 5th-round draft pick Talanoa Hufanga for two seasons (2019-20) with the Trojans.
• His biggest inspiration is his late grandmother, Cynthia Cavitt, who loved to follow her grandson's football career long before others did. "Drake was her little celebrity," Jackson's father, Dennis, said. In Jackson's first game following his grandmother's passing, he hauled in his second career INT and was "happy that he did it for her" in the win over San Jose State.

Goldmine

• When Jackson was born, his father, Dennis, wrote, "Drake Jack- son, University of Southern California, outside linebacker, 265 pounds," on his birth certificate. Against all odds, Dennis spoke his infant son's future into existence. "When I was born, my dad said, manifested [and] praised to God that I go to USC," the younger Jackson said. "Now for me to be in my last year where I really feel like the guy and weigh how much he said, it's just crazy to me how everything really works out."
• Jackson has a unique skill that earned him a unique nickname. At 6-4, 270 lbs Jackson can perform backflips with ease, earning him the moniker "the freak" by his college teammates. That was always one of the coolest things to me when I was a kid, flipping," Jackson said. "I was always interested in gymnastics-type of things and that was probably as close as I got to it. I've always been able to do it."

College

• Appeared in 28 games (26 starts) in three years (2019-21) at Southern California and registered 103 tackles, 25.0 TFLs, 4 PDs, 2 INTs, 1 FF and 1 FR. As a junior in 2021, appeared in all 11 games (9 starts) and notched 37 tackles, a team-high 8.0 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, 1 FR, 1 FF and 1 INT earning him Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors. As a sophomore in 2020, started all 6 games and tallied 20 tackles, including 5.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and 1 INT. Started all 11 games he appeared in as a freshman in 2019 and posted a career-high 46 tackles, a team- high 11.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 3 PDs and 1 FF. Earned Second-Team All- Pac-12 honors and was named Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Honorable Mention.