Auburn football: 3-year starting Virginia LB visiting campus

It seems that head coach Hugh Freeze and the Auburn football coaching staff is looking for at least one more linebacker out of the NCAA transfer portal. This morning it was confirmed that former Ole Miss linebacker Austin Keys would be visiting the Plains this weekend, but he isn’t the only LB being brought in to check out the Tigers.

Also taking a trip to Auburn this weekend is a former Virginia linebacker. Nick Jackson, who signed with UVA back in 2018 as a 3-star LB and member of the 2019 recruiting class. The Atlanta native spent four seasons in Virginia and was a three-year starter for the Cavaliers, earning All-ACC selections multiple times.

He entered the transfer portal on December 12, and has one year of eligibility left at his next school though he plans to graduate from Virginia in May before moving on to the next stop.

2021 marked Jackson’s best season with the Cavaliers, when he totaled 117 tackles—54 solo and 63 assisted—as well as 2.5 sacks and 2 passes deflected. He finished up his four-year career with a whopping 352 tackles, eight passes deflected, 10.5 tackles, and one forced fumble.

Since entering the portal, Jackson has received interest from multiple programs around the country, including Washington State, Iowa, and Oregon.

The NCAA transfer portal window allowing players to enter will close on January 19 before reopening for another 15 days after spring practices. Although players in the portal do not have to commit by January 19, to participate in spring training with Auburn football, players will have to be enrolled in classes by January 18.

The Tigers have already added former LSU linebacker DeMario Tolan from the transfer portal, and they are clearly making a push for at least one more ahead of spring training. There are currently no high school linebackers in the 2023 recruiting class committed to Auburn.