8/28/2023 football Edit

Mike Norvell hopeful FSU DT Darrell Jackson's waiver will be re-evaluated

Curt Weiler • TheOsceola

Senior Writer

While it's game week of a top-10 matchup for the Florida State football team at the onset of the 2023 season, Darrell Jackson is still expected to be watching the LSU game from the sidelines.

The Havana, Fla., native defensive tackle who transferred from Miami to FSU this offseason — his second transfer after originally enrolling at Maryland in 2021 — had his NCAA eligibility waiver denied earlier this month.

While that means at least for now he will not be eligible for the 2023 season, FSU head coach Mike Norvell remains hopeful that a re-evaluation of Jackson's waiver could be made by the NCAA at some point.

"That's something we're continuing to seek more guidance from on any re-evaluation of the process. With all due respect to decisions that are made, I still find it unfortunate for the young man," Norvell said Monday. "December was when he chose for his situation to go in the transfer portal. There in January, a new standard was signed in with the NCAA on January 11 and he had been enrolled here. I'm hopeful that's something that is still getting looked at. It's one of the things that we're continuing to check back on."

FSU was originally confident that Jackson would get a waiver to play in 2023 even though he was a second-time transfer, especially considering a big part of his decision to transfer to FSU surrounding a desire to be closer to his mother, who is dealing with a medical condition.

However, as Norvell mentioned, the NCAA announced it would begin being stricter with granted eligibility to second-time transfers who haven't yet graduated on Jan. 11 of this year. At that point, Jackson was already enrolled at FSU.

There's been some confidence expressed through reporting from North Carolina that transfer wide receiver Tez Walker may get his waiver denial overturned. Walker, who transferred from Kent State to UNC this offseason, is in a similar situation as he's returning closer to home to be near his grandmother, who is unable to travel much.

Walker has actually only played at one of the schools he was previously at while Jackson played at both Maryland and Miami, amassing 49 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks over two seasons. However, the similarities are there enough where it seems likely both waivers could be granted if one is.

"Obviously, I'm always hopeful that it will be re-evaluated by the powers that be," Norvell said. "If he does get cleared, whether it's before the game or whether it's at some point during the season, he'll be ready. We're going to continue to go through that. Just hopeful."

In the mean time, Norvell praised Jackson for how he's been continuing to work on the practice field in the three weeks since he found out his waiver had been denied.

"Darrell is practicing, he's preparing, You never know how things are going to go," Norvell said. "If it upholds where he's not eligible to play then he's going to continue to prepare to be his best. I've respected so much his attitude and approach throughout this fall camp after finding out the news that it was denied."