Giles Jackson Has Found His Role in New UW Offense

Last spring UW hauled in an electric spark plug with the intention of featuring a prolific arial offensive attack.

A little over one year later that plan has started coming to fruition. Giles Jackson, a former four-star recruit out of Antioch, California, transferred from the University of Michigan back to the West Coast to finish out his college career at the University of Washington in April 2021.

The 5-foot-9 and 185-pound versatile threat played in all 12 games last season for the Huskies, but finished tied for ninth on the team with eight receptions and didn’t record a single touchdown catch. It wasn’t the type of season Jackson wanted to have. Upon reflection in fall camp he admitted part of his lack of success was self inflicted.

“I feel I wasn’t focused — nowhere near as I should be last year,” Jackson said. “I wasn’t putting in as much work. I feel like it was just the way the season (went) and I was just transferring over. I was still getting into stuff.”

Once the New Year – along with a new coaching staff – came, a switch was flipped.

Jackson entered fall camp with a clear vision of what he needed to do every day to achieve his goals, in part, thanks to a trip to Target. He purchased three large white board’s; one has his personal and team goals, another has what he needs to do each day, and a third for the playbook to study plays on his own.

As a result, the junior has solidified his role as a multi-purpose threat in the eyes of the coaching staff.

“He’s going to be on the field,” UW wide receiver coach JaMarcus Shephard said after the Huskies eight practice in camp.

“At this point I think he’s done well enough through spring and through camp that – we got to keep him healthy and make sure he gets opportunities to be out there. He’s kind of like the SwissArmy Knife. Typically have one of those guys who, you can put him in a lot of different places and they can impact the game in a profound way from various positions on the field.”

For first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who has a trio of second-year wide receivers at his disposal; Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan, each standing 6-foot-1 or taller, Jackson is the one in the room who outperforms his stature.

“When we talk in the offensive staff room the thing that we’re looking for is like, ‘who do we have that plays bigger than themselves?” Grubb said Wednesday. “When I think about Giles Jackson, he plays bigger than himself.”

What has allowed Jackson to separate himself in camp hasn’t been the result of outstanding catches, which head coach Kalen DeBoer noted he had about a 20 to 25-yard diving catch along the sideline in the first week of camp. But rather his pure knowledge of the game and how the offense is supposed to run.

“The one thing about Giles, he’s won most explosive, ball-dominance guy multiple times throughout camp already,” Grubb said. “But he’s the guy in the receiver room that I feel I can call a play and have the wrong people out there, and Giles would get it right. He’d get people lined up. He’d get in the right – ‘no, I got Z. You’re good. Go over there’. And that’s one of the most impressive things. I just think he’s as super dialed kid. He is, again, another smart, tough, physical kid. Willing blocker. Explosive player. Great hands.”

With a refined focus, playing in an offensive system that, according to McMillan ” was made for somebody with his type”, Jackson has set the expectation bar high across the board.

In camp Jackson has shared punt and kick return duties with a handful of players, but he wants at least two touchdowns in each category; catching, running and returning. Most importantly, though, are the two team goals above that on his goal white board, with the third being a helpful part of the first two.

“Win the Pac-12. Win the National Championship. Touchdowns. A lot of them,” Jackson said, with a wide smile and laugh at the end.