Alabama recruit ready to prove he’s total package

No matter how perfectly it describes his attributes, Star Jackson can’t stand the A-word.

Blessed with 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash and elusiveness on the football field, the four-star prospect, and one of the most anticipated recruits expected to sign with Alabama on National Signing Day, decries the term “athlete.”

In fact, he doesn’t like many labels. There’s one he’s comfortable with, though: quarterback.

“I wouldn’t call myself a pro-style quarterback, and I wouldn’t call myself a dual-threat quarterback. I would just call myself a quarterback,” Jackson said by phone from his high school in Lake Worth, Fla., just a short drive south of West Palm Beach in south Florida. “Whatever the situation calls for, that’s what I’m going to be.”

Not everyone shared that perception, as Jackson deliberated to which college he would commit.

Due to his mobility, there were misconceptions on the part of some college recruiters and the media about what kind of quarterback he is, said Errick Lowe, Jackson’s coach at Lake Worth.

“A lot of people think because he runs well, he’s a dual-threat quarterback,” Lowe said. “I never saw that.

“Can he get out there and run away from somebody? Of course. Is he a Pat White? No. But is he a 4.4 40 guy? Heck yeah.”

Watching film of Jackson, one will find more touch passes than touchdown runs.

But also apparent, between the three-, five- and seven-step drops and deep throws from shotgun, is an awareness to avoid jailbreak blitzes and the quickness to scramble for first downs at will.

“He’s a pro-style quarterback with athletic ability,” said Jamie Newburg, senior recruiting analyst for Scout.com. “He can pretty much run any system. Alabama was looking for a guy who can run and throw, and they got it.”

Jackson, who didn’t play organized football until his sophomore year, honed his versatility in what Lowe calls his multiple-set, pro-style offense. His scheme features everything from zone-read plays to two-tight end sets to four-receiver formations out of the shotgun, Lowe said. And Jackson’s athleticism has allowed Lowe to expand the offense even more.

“With the kind of quarterback that I have, I’m able to build around that,” Lowe said. “With Star being the kind of athlete he is, whatever we have wanted to do, we’ve been able to do. That’s the kind of quarterback he is — explosive, fast, smart, good feet, good mechanics, big-time arm, big-time quarterback.

“He’s not an athlete that plays quarterback. He’s a quarterback that’s really athletic, but a quarterback first.”

Still, Jackson’s not the kind of player whom coaches will look to carry the ball 10 to 12 times a game, Lowe said. Rather, he’s the type of quarterback who can use his legs to turn a sure sack into a three-yard gain.

“If you want the best dual-threat quarterback, then Terrelle Pryor is that kid,” Lowe said. “But if you want the best pro-style quarterback, Star Jackson is the man.”

After verbally committing to the Crimson Tide on Sept. 4, there was a brief time when Jackson thought he might not become Alabama’s man. When former offensive coordinator Major Applewhite left Alabama for Texas on Jan. 16, Jackson spent the following few days pondering whether to reopen his recruiting.

“Major Applewhite was a big reason why I was going to Alabama,” Jackson said. “I had relationships with a lot of people (at Alabama), but my main one was with coach Applewhite. When he left, it was kind of devastating, My first reaction was ‘Ah, I’ve got to go to another school.’”

West Virginia recruiters even visited Jackson at his home in hopes of swaying his commitment. In the end, though, Applewhite wasn’t the sole reason Jackson chose Alabama. Ultimately, the quarterback was attracted to the NFL experience of Nick Saban and his coaching staff.

“We had to really talk about it and think about his reasoning to go to Alabama,” Lowe said. “He loves the place. He loves coach Saban. He loves the prestige of the program. He loves the change that’s about to happen at Alabama.”

His first day after being announced as Applewhite’s successor, new Alabama offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jim McElwain made sure Jackson was still on board with the Tide, visiting the quarterback and his coach in Lake Worth.

“I’m not going to say he came down here and it’s peaches and cream and a match made in heaven,” Lowe said. “But I think Star is excited about him being the new coordinator and quarterbacks coach.”

Jackson said the two are starting to develop a bond. They’ve spoken mostly about mechanics and other things that concern quarterbacks.

That, after all, is how Jackson defines himself. To label him anything else — especially the A-word — would be “completely wrong,” he said.

“And if anybody still believes otherwise,” Jackson added, “I’ll just prove it to them when I get to Alabama.”

Bryan App can be reached at 740-5730 or bryan.app@timesdaily.com.