Olympia defensive back Ja'Cari Jackson had no idea how his life would change when he headed across town to UCF last week.
He thought he was just attending spring practice, taking a closer look at a program he'd long dreamed of joining. But after practice, Jackson received his first FBS offer from his hometown school.
"They offered me after practice," Jackson said. "Coach (Alex) Grinch pulled me to the side, we were walking to the front to Coach (Scott) Frost's office, but he wasn't there. So Coach Grinch was like, 'We'll just break it to you now. We're offering you a full scholarship to the University of Central Florida.'
"I cried for sure. This is a big one right here."
Jackson went home and talked it over with his family. A couple days later, he gave his commitment to Grinch and secondary coach Brandon Harris, announcing the news Sunday afternoon.
"I told them how much I loved it Thursday and how me and my family talked about it, how I talked about it with God, also with my head coach, and how I wanted to commit to the University of Central Florida," Jackson said. "The coaches were excited about it. I'm so excited too. I've always wanted to go there. It's been one of my favorite schools since I was little. And it's very close to home."
Jackson is a versatile two-way player at Olympia, lining up at quarterback and wide receiver on offense, and both nickel and cornerback on defense.
"UCF said they loved my film," Jackson said. "They kept rewatching it. They said I could play any position in the secondary. I really like how UCF develops their secondary players."
Jackson will be the latest in a string of Hometown Hero DBs at UCF. He already has connections on the roster, including former area standouts Braeden Marshall and Brandon Jacob.
With Jackson's commitment, UCF is now up to six pledges in the 2026 class — four of which have come in the past 10 days.
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