RJ Jackson Jr. is excited for his future with UCF and working with position coach Kenny Martin.
The former Tulsa defensive tackle became the Knights' first transfer portal commitment over the weekend. Then on Wednesday, following the announcement Martin would be retained on Scott Frost's new staff, Jackson officially signed.
"Coach Martin was a big reason why I committed and signed," Jackson said. "He hopped on me pretty early. As soon I hit the portal, I think he hit me up the next day. I really felt the love early. He has a plan for me and my development and I trust him in that. Everything sounded good. It just felt right."
An Oklahoma native, Jackson played at Choctaw High School just outside Oklahoma City. He initially thought his future would be on offense.
"I played tight end from my freshman to my junior year," Jackson said. "I had a few offers at tight end. You know how recruiting goes, I took too long to commit and they weren't there anymore. So I switched to defensive end my senior year. I was recruited to Tulsa to play defensive end, then I made the transition to defensive tackle my freshman year.
"We already had two great defensive ends, Owen Ostroski and Vontroy Malone, cats like that, and I wanted to get on the field and contribute any way I can. I had the frame to move inside and put on weight, so Ron Burton, my position coach at Tulsa, we decided it was best to put on 30-40 pounds and play three-technique."
In a span of a couple years, the 6-foot-3 Jackson went from 240 to 280 pounds, which was his playing weight this past season.
"The weight came on pretty natural," he said. "Like I said, I had the frame for it. I just picked up the fork and kept eating."
After seeing immediate action as a true freshman in 2023, Jackson saw his breakthrough in 2024. Earning a starting position, he finished with 35 total tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks. He earned a season PFF grade of 68.1.
"I took it game by game," Jackson said. "Every game I tried to do the best I could and make small improvements."
In the portal, Jackson got a lot of positive feedback from coaches.
"I move well for my size," he said. "I can move pretty well laterally whether it's stunts in the run or pass. My power at the point of attack is pretty good. I have the ability to pass rush from anywhere on the line, five (technique), three or head-up nose. My reads as far as reading guard pulls is pretty good."
Jackson spent last weekend at UCF, committing prior to his departure on Saturday.
"The visit was great," Jackson said. "I got a chance to talk to Coach Frost, Coach Martin and the rest of the guys on staff. It was great vibes. Everybody was just excited to be there and excited to get to work.
"It was great meeting with Frost. He has a history of winning. I know everybody is excited that he's back and he's going to put us in position to win a lot of ballgames here. I'm excited for it."
The visit came prior to the announcement Alex Grinch would serve as defensive coordinator, but Jackson says he's already quite familiar with him.
"I'm from Oklahoma, so I know he's a good coach and has been at a lot of big-time places," Jackson said.
Jackson said he wasn't sure about UCF's defensive plans. He thought it would be a 4-2-5 with four down linemen, but he also knows Grinch has experience running a 3-4. Regardless, he feels he can be a fit and he's excited to start working with Martin when he arrives to Orlando in January.
"He's a great person and a great coach," Jackson said of Martin. "We've continued to talk. His plan is for me to continue to get better. Everybody has weaknesses, whether it's pad level or being a better pass rusher, or better hand placement and getting off blocks. Coach Martin really goes into great detail about how he can elevate my game and take me to the next level."
Jackson was also scheduled to visit Oklahoma, but canceled after he committed to UCF.
"I'm looking forward to going in and competing," Jackson said. "I want to help the team win a lot of ballgames."
