Sophomore quarterback Dontrell Jackson Jr. checks out Illinois football

Chicago Marist 2022 quarterback Dontrell Jackson Jr. visited Illinois on Saturday and was in attendance for the Illini’s night game against Nebraska.

Orange and Blue News spoke to Jackson to get the scoop on his latest trip to Champaign.

Illinois was the first and still remains the only school to offer the dual-threat quarterback. The coaching staff reached out early this summer when Jackson camped at Illinois and he impressed them with his arm talent and athleticism.

“All the coaches like me and I like them too,” Jackson said. “It’s nice having them support me and give me an offer when I’m only 15. It means a lot.

“I have a real tight relationship with them. Every time I come out here, they show me love. I love it here.”

Saturday night’s game against the Huskers was actually the first college football game that Jackson had been to. Seeing the crowd and atmosphere had Jackson wishing he was out there on the field.

“I just wanted to come see how a college game was,” Jackson said. “This is actually my first college game coming to. So yeah, I just wanted to come see how it was, how the tradition of Illinois was, and I just want to be a part of it. It’s fun. It’s awesome. I can picture myself in front of this crowd right now.”

In the meantime, Jackson will continue to play on Friday nights for a couple more seasons under center. He’s still going through the developmental stages of playing quarterback yet is already gaining interest from several Power Five programs besides Illinois.

Jackson said that Cincinnati is close to offering him and that he’s been in contact with Northwestern, Arizona and Louisville as of late. He also has interest from schools such as Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, Iowa and Wisconsin early on in his recruitment process as well.

Jackson’s just thankful for the opportunities he’s receiving at the start of his young football career.

“I thank God every day for it,” Jackson said. “My motto is to continue to work. Continue to work so I can get better.”

But it already appears, though, Jackson has found a match with the Illini so far.

“I love what they’re doing here, and I want to be a part of it,” he said.