Jackson To Announce Decision Today

It's been a long recruiting journey for Shreveport (LA) Evangel's Brandon Jackson. After an unofficial visit to College Station in the spring, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman committed to the coaching staff, but recently Jackson has expressed interest in other programs. Brandon told Websider's David Sandhop he would have a decision on Tuesday and wanted to "sleep on it". Where do the Aggies stand?

It’s been a long road to recovery for Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman when it comes to resurrecting a once proud Aggie defense that was affectionately nicknamed the Wrecking Crew in the 1980’s and 1990’s. While the offense has made a remarkable turnaround and is one of the nation’s best, the defense still lacks the athletes to be effective in the Big 12. As a result, Sherman and staff aggressively pursued defensive prospects early in 2009 and that led them to Shreveport (LA) Evangel and interior defensive lineman Brandon Jackson.

After an unofficial visit to College Station in the spring, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman committed to the coaching staff. During an interview shortly after his announcement, Jackson explained why he chose the Aggies nearly 10 months ago.

“It just felt like home,” Jackson said. “Bryan/College Station is a lot like Shreveport/Bossier City. The people are nice and down to earth. It’s just a good environment for me.”

But major D-1 programs continued to pursue the three-star prospect, and he eventually set-up official visits to Arkansas and Alabama at the end of his senior season. While he flirted with the Razorbacks and Crimson Tide, he remained committed to the Aggies. However, with just a month left until signing day, the home state LSU Tigers set their sights on the Evangel product and brought him in for a visit last weekend.

“I had a good time. I met with all the coaches. I hung out with the players and they showed me the city,” Jackson said. “The coaches said they liked me and thought if I worked hard in the offseason I could compete for playing time.”

A week earlier, Jackson took his official visit to Texas A&M and he gave the trip high marks.

“It was a good weekend. I got to see all the things about the university I didn’t have time to see last spring,” Jackson said. “I found a good church home there and I got to see the new facilities in the music department where I plan to study.”

Another important aspect of the trip was meeting new defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, who recently accepted the position in College Station after three successful years improving Air Force’s defense to No.11 in the nation in 2009.

“Coach DeRuyter is a high energy guy and he’s very confident in what he does,” Jackson said. “He’s a good coach and getting to know him was a big positive. I feel he’s going to turn around the defense and he thinks I’ll be a big part in that.”

So with only 36 hours until signing day and two recent official visits to evaluate, does Jackson know what he will do Wednesday morning when it’s time to sign a LOI and fax it to his school choice?

“I’m still thinking about it, but as of now I’d say I’m 99% sure I’ll sign with Texas A&M. I just want to sleep on it,” Jackson said. “My visit to A&M solidified my commitment. I feel comfortable there and they’ve recruited me from day one.”

Jackson said he’ll weigh his options for one more day and will call the coaches at both schools at 3:00 pm to inform them of his final decision. Barring a last second change of heart, the Aggie coaching staff appears on the verge of landing a much needed athlete on the defensive line. This confirms what Websider has been reporting over the past week.