When new Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White first talked to the media here last week, he lamented the fact that he wouldn't get to coach Darrell Jackson, who he called one of the "Twin Towers" of FSU's 2024 defensive line.

A few days earlier, Jackson had announced he was forgoing his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft after one full season of action with the Seminoles.

By the time we first talked to new FSU defensive line coach Terrance Knighton on Tuesday, that decision had changed. Jackson announced via a post on FSU's social media accounts Monday that he was instead returning for his redshirt senior season in 2025.

Safe to say Knighton was elated to learn this news.

"I feel like we got the top guy out of the portal with getting him back. I look forward to working with him," Knighton said of Jackson. "He's one of the biggest human beings I ever saw. He has a great foundation right now, with everything he's learned from Coach Odell (Haggins). I'm just looking forward to sharpening those tools and turning him into one of the best players in the country."

Jackson just wrapped up his second season as a member of the FSU football program after transferring in from Miami two years ago. However, he's played just 13 games for the Seminoles after he was restricted from playing in the 2023 regular season when he was denied an NCAA waiver for instant eligibility as a second-time transfer.

Jackson really came into his own down the stretch of the 2024 season. He had two sacks in FSU's loss at Miami and 3.5 of his four tackles for loss (tied for the team lead) came in a three-game stretch near the end of the season vs. Miami, North Carolina and Notre Dame.

Even with somewhat limited production, an NFL team likely would have taken a chance on Jackson alone in this upcoming draft because of his 6-foot-5, 330-pound frame and his potential. However, he's the type of player who could be selected much higher in the 2026 draft if he has a productive season next fall for the Seminoles.

That's a big part of why Knighton, a former NFL defensive tackle himself, made the retention of Jackson a priority when he was hired at FSU on Dec. 6.

"When I first got here, obviously that was a pressing need to talk to him. He had ambitions of going to the NFL, rightfully so. He's a great player," Knighton said. "He had an opportunity to come back. Me and him have built a relationship in this short time. He's developed this trust with me. And me, him and coach Odell have had a lot of conversations about things that he can get better at and make sure that he's the best he can be before he gets to the NFL."

Knighton also knows first-hand from his last two years how impactful a player like Jackson can be in a variety of ways in White's 3-3-5 defense.

"When you have a great talent like that, you can line him up anywhere. That's the beauty of Tony's defense is you never know where guys are going to line up..." Knighton said. "He has the talent and the skill set to play anywhere on the line. That's one thing I talked about with him coming back is building that profile of being a versatile d-lineman. Not just being a guy who can line up over the center, he can line up anywhere. He'll get opportunities to line up over the tackle, show his versatility, his athleticism for his size. I'm looking forward to working with him. Guys like that are one in a million so I'm very excited to coach him and expand his profile as a player."

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