Dec. 29, 1997
Cal Signs Top Defensive Line Prospect from Dixie JC
Head coach Tom Holmoe announced today that Cal has signed one of the top junior college prospects in the country, defensive tackle Kasey Jackson from Dixie JC in Utah, to a national letter-of-intent.
Jackson, 6-3 and 280 pounds, was pursued by several schools around the country before finally choosing Cal over UCLA, Illinois and Wyoming. He is expected to provide an imposing physical presence to Cal's interior line as he is extremely strong with an amazing 500-pound bench press and a 700-pound squat press.
"Kasey is the type of player who has the strength and maturity to be an immediate contributor to our defense," said Holmoe. "He was very highly recruited and we feel fortunate he's coming to Cal."
Jackson will enroll at Cal in the spring semester which begins on January 20 and will participate in spring drills this coming April.
He played just a single season at Dixie JC where he helped the Rebels to a 11-1 record and a national No. 3x ranking this past year. He missed several games during the year with a badly sprained knee, but came back in time to help Dixie to a 76-21 post-season bowl win over Lackawanna JC of Pennsylvania. During that game he recorded an interception. Jackson played the 1996 season at the University of Hawaii, but made the decision to return to the mainland and attend Dixie last year. He originally attended Orem HS in Utah.
Cal previously signed JC All-America safety Damien Marzett to a letter-of-intent. Holmoe indicated that the Bears could sign one or two other JC players, but that the bulk of Cal's approximate 23 or 24 available scholarships would come from the high school ranks. The national letter-of-intent day for high school prospects (as well as JC players who don't have the academic units completed to transfer until next fall) is Wednesday, February 4.
