Every August, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman publishes his “Freaks List,” highlighting 101 of the most physically gifted athletes on the college football stage. This year, two Florida State players made the cut: Darrell Jackson and Joshua Farmer. What makes them special?
Two-Time Transfer Darrell Jackson Ready To Live Up to Feldman Freak List Placement
Last year, EDGE Jared Verse (No. 26) and WR Johnny Wilson (No. 28) made the list, becoming the first two Seminoles to land on Feldman’s reader in Mike Norvell’s tenure as head coach.
Not only are Jackson and Farmer teammates, but they play the same position (defensive tackle) and were both three-star recruits out of Gadsden County High School in Florida. While Farmer committed to FSU, Jackson began his collegiate career at Maryland.
He played all 13 games as a true freshman, recording 22 tackles. However, the Florida native opted to transfer to Miami that offseason, where he started all 12 games in 2022. Twenty-seven tackles, 4.5 TFLs, three sacks, and one pass breakup later, Jackson sought his third team in as many seasons, ultimately landing at yet another Florida school with the Seminoles.
Due to the NCAA’s double-transfer rule, Jackson had to sit out the 2023 regular season, although he was able to make his FSU debut in the Orange Bowl against Georgia. There aren’t many positive moments to take away from a 63-3 loss, but Jackson was able to register three tackles and a half-TFL in his first game action of the year.
While Jackson didn’t play until the final game, he made his time on the sidelines count, using it to work on his game and make an impact in the community. Upon the conclusion of the season, he earned FSU’s Bill McGrotha Award, given to the top humanitarians on the team.
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Nevertheless, what Florida State fans are most excited about is his ability on the field, and Feldman has certainly thrown gasoline on the fire:
“This is just one enormous and freaky dude. His arm length is 36 inches, and he has 11-inch hands. He’s run 20.6 MPH in pads — not just in shorts and a t-shirt. He squats over 600 pounds and benches over 400 pounds. His Nordbord score is over 2.0, which is good for tight ends and linebackers.
“The FSU defensive line lost both Jared Verse and Braden Fiske to the NFL but is still very scary with Jackson, Joshua Farmer, and others leading the way.”
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