Jha'Quan

Jackson

In his first game as a pro, Philips caught 6-of-9 targets for 66 yards while also returning four punts for 62 yards. The fifth-round rookie looked like an immediate impact player out of the slot but has been limited to just 13 games over two seasons due to injury. In addition to injuries, Glennon also points out that Philips lost value when he muffed away his job as a returner last season. Now, rookie Jha’Quan Jackson, who the team selected in the sixth round this spring, has a chance to unseat Philips in the slot and as a returner. Neither player would offer much fantasy upside if they make the Titans’ 53-man roster, but this is a position battle worth monitoring under a new coaching regime.

Jackson (5’9/188) spent five years at Tulane, but never saw more than 48 targets in a season, and topped out at 554 yards in his fourth year. He’s an undersized slot receiver who also rushed for 12-116-1 for his career on limited carries, but he did force a missed tackle on 23.1 percent of his offensive touches (receptions and carries). Jackson averaged 16.0 YPR for his career and averaged a solid 7.3 YAC/REC. His athleticism coupled with his ability to create after the catch make him an intriguing prospect in Nashville, and he could be an immediate contributor on special teams.

Jackson (5'9/185) flashed his big-play ability from last season for the Green Wave. While he only caught two passes, he made the most of them. His two catches were for 50 and 43 yards in a game where Tulane lived and died by the big play. Going into Thursday’s contest, Johnson only had six receptions for 42 yards on the season, but he showed that more opportunities should be coming his way the rest of the season. The Green Wave take on Cincinnati next Saturday.

Jackson (5'9/180), who finished the 2020 season with a 31-425-8 receiving line, missed some time early in fall camp due to what has been described as a minor knee injury. The sophomore is good to go now, and the expectation is that he’ll be one of Tulane’s key targets in the passing game this fall. According to NOLA.com’s Guerry Smith, Jackson has been the most consistent of Tulane’s wide receivers when it comes to catching the ball. Twins Duece and Phat Watts and JUCO transfer Shae Wyatt have all struggled with drops at various points in fall camp.

Jackson may have only brought in the two passes, but he sure did take advantage of those chances. He was a big-play machine, scoring from 41 yards and 28 yards out on his two receptions. At 5-foot-9, 185-pounds, Jackson is not really beating defenses with strength, but he’s got some mean speed and made the Wolf Pack very aware of that. Unfortunately, the rest of the Tulane passing offense struggled for most of the night, ultimately leading to the loss. Jackson finishes the season with eight touchdowns.

Jackson (5'9/185) reached the end zone for the second time in Tulane’s last three games, and for the sixth time this season. The sophomore wide receiver is now up to 29 receptions for 356 yards and six scores in 2020. Jackson was one of two Tulane players to catch a touchdown pass Saturday afternoon, with Duece Watts (3-46-1) being responsible for the other. Jackson and Watts are tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions, and it remains to be seen if they’ll have the opportunity to break the deadlock in a bowl game.

Jackson (5'9/185) made an incredible highlight reel over the shoulder catch on a perfectly thrown end-zone fade with a defender draped all over him for a 20-yard TD reception. The sophomore wideout had only caught three passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns so far this year, so he basically doubled his yearly production with his standout performance on Saturday. With a relatively unsettled wide receiver pecking order, Jackson has a chance to carve out a nice niche for himself going forward. Tulane will take on Temple next Saturday.