Rivals250 DL Shambre Jackson excited about FSU Football future, commitment

It certainly was not a shocker when Jackson made his commitment to Florida State a few weeks ago. He grew up a huge fan of the Seminoles and hit it off early with veteran defensive line coach Odell Haggins.

Still, any time Alabama gets involved, it's a recruiting victory to be celebrated.

Jackson, quarterback Luke Altmyer and defensive back Hunter Washington are three highest-rated prospects in head coach Mike Norvell's first full recruiting cycle.

"I'm really excited about being a Seminole," Jackson said. "I've been talking to the coaches all the time and the players. I know it's the right fit for me, so I love it. It's a great place, and I'm excited to be a part of that culture with Coach Norvell in what they are building."

While Haggins has been recruiting Jackson for a long time and helped forge that relationship, linebackers coach Chris Marve has played a pivotal role as well.

"I talk with Coach Haggins every day," Jackson said. "He's a really good coach, as everybody knows, but also a really good person. I really like him a lot. He's a really cool dude, but also can be serious when it comes to football.

"But I could tell early on how he cared for me as a person, and it was more than just football when we talk or I'm around him. I would say the staff in general, like Coach Marve, was also like that in the personal relationships."

When Warchant visited with Jackson last week, he was still very excited about the Seminoles' upset victory against then-No. 5 North Carolina. Even though he has been confident all along that Norvell would turn around the FSU program, he said beating a highly ranked team so soon even surprised him.

"Oh man, I was so hyped," Jackson said. "We played really well even though they came back. To beat the No 5 team in the country says a lot. That just shows FSU can play at a high level against the best teams.

"The defensive line played at a high level. Making the pocket collapse, getting in the quarterback's face, sacks, generating a lot of pressure. I was actually surprised to see that this quickly under the staff. But I was pretty hyped for sure."

When it comes to his future position, Jackson went into detail about what the coaches have planned for him once he arrives at Florida State.