DeaSean Jackson, 2008 NFL Draft Prospect

Wide Receiver Return Specialist 5' 9" 169 lbs. Speed: 4.35 California Berkley Senior

California’s DeSean Jackson is one of the most exciting return specialists in college football, whenever he touches the ball, people stand up and take notice. Only a junior, but quite possibly one of the top picks in the 2008 NFL Draft. Just how exciting is he? In the 2005 season opener against Sacramento State, as a true freshman, his very first career (collegiate) reception resulted in a 31-yard touchdown. That same year he led the Bears with 38 catches for 601 yards and seven touchdowns.

His coaches must have thought they had something special after that first game, and they were right, because in 2006 as a sophomore he continued to make play after play. He finished 2006 ranked second in the Pac-10 with nine receiving touchdowns and four 100-yard receiving games. He is also an electrifying punt returner, he set school and Pac-10 records with four touchdowns on the season and five for his career. His 95 yard punt return for a touchdown against Arizona was a Sports Center highlight for an entire week.  He also recorded a 72-yard touchdown return against UCLA, a 65-yarder against Oregon and an 80-yarder against Arizona State.

Two years ago in (2006), as only a sophomore, he was a first team All-Pac-10 selection as a wide receiver and as a punt returner, and a first team All-America punt returner by the Associated Press, Walter Camp Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America, the Sporting News and Rivals.com. In addition to all that he won the inaugural Randy Moss Award as the top return man in the nation by leading the nation with 18.2 yards per punt return average.

"It's an honor to have been in the position to win this award," Jackson said. "I have worked hard all year long and with all the accolades I have received it puts a good perspective on what hard work can accomplish. But I still have a lot of hard work to do on the football field."

After his sophomore year he had already accumulated 97 receptions for 1,661 yards and 16 TDs; and as a returner he has amassed 26 punt returns for 504 yards and another 5 TDs.

Anyone that followed his high school career wouldn’t be overly surprised with his collegiate success. In high school he was one of the highest rated wide receivers in the nation, a Parade Magazine All-American. He was named the 2004 Glenn Davis Award winner by the Los Angeles Times as Southern California's player of the year. He recorded 60 catches for 1,075 yards while playing for Long Beach Poly's CIF Southern Section championship team. Jackson also scored 15 touchdowns, eight which measured at least 60 yards or more, including two on punt returns.

Immediately after his high school career he played in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, where he was voted as the most valuable player. In that game he had seven receptions for 141 yards and passed for a 45-yard touchdown in leading the West to a 35-3 victory. In case you are not familiar with that game, it’s a high school all-star game featuring 80 of the nation's top players.

Update: Jackson made the entire nation catch their breath in the 2007 season opener on national TV. He was instrumental in Cal's grudge match victory over a solid Tennessee. Jackson's 77-yard punt return for a touchdown was spectacular indeed, but he also had four receptions and three of those went for first downs. He accumulated 143 total yards in the season opener.

Jackson was an early  Heisman Trophy Candidate, but after that first game didn't really have the season that many thought he would. He wasn't even the leading receiver on his team, Jackson finished the 2007 season with 65 catches for 762 yards and 6 touchdowns with an additional 12 punt returns for 129 yards and one touchdown. California's leading receiver was LaVelle Hawkins, who had 872 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Jackson might have been a victim of his own success as teams game planned to stop him and you could say that he had a disappointing junior year, however, the talent, speed, quickness and touchdown making ability can't be mistaken and subsequently he declared for the 2008 NFL Draft. At the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine he raised some eyebrows when he weighed in at a diminutive 5' 9" and 169 pounds, but when he hunkered down and ran his 40 yard dash, the NFL Scouts looked at each other and nodded in pleasure when they looked at their stop watch and seen he ran a blazing 4.35 forty, which makes him the fastest receiver available for the 2008 NFL Draft. As an NFL player he will be initially used returning punts, catching screens and flares out of the backfield on 3rd down and running reverses. Like Ted Ginn Jr. last year, not a polished receiver, but his game breaking return ability, breath taking speed and potential, will warrant a higher draft selection than he probably deserves.