• Jackson possesses a relentless motor from all positions: This season, he has featured at 0-technique nose, 3-technique defensive tackle, 5-technique defensive end, outside and even inside linebacker, with left and right versatility throughout.
• The 45th-ranked player on PFF's 2025 NFL Draft Big Board: Jackson’s pass-rush win rate and pressure percentage this season are both above 11% for the first time in his career. He’s also just three pressures away from his single-season career high, with almost half a season still to go.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
Watch any Arkansas game, and there’s a good chance you’ll quickly notice the defense's 6-foot-7, 280-pound edge defender, Landon Jackson, passing the eye test before the ball is even snapped. Post-snap, you’ll see him play with uncommon explosiveness and violence for a player of his size.
The Razorbacks will line up Jackson anywhere. In his college career, he has featured at 0-technique nose, 3-technique defensive tackle, 5-technique defensive end, outside and even inside linebacker, with left and right versatility throughout. If you’re wondering what’s going through his mind when he’s lining up at so many positions and still producing a top-25 PFF defensive grade among edge rushers this season (82.1), it’s a specific demeanor.
“I just go out there and play pissed off,” Jackson said in an exclusive with PFF.
Landon Jackson's 2024 Snap Counts by Alignment
Versatility is nothing new for the fourth-year senior, dating back to his pre-football days. As the son of two Division I athletes — his mom played volleyball at McNeese State and his father played basketball at Texas A&M before also playing at McNeese State — sports were a natural part of Jackson’s life. He grew up playing soccer, baseball and basketball, of which the last two became much more fun once he grew taller than almost everyone around him by fourth grade. AAU basketball became his primary sport in middle school, but when he broke the school record for sacks in his freshman year of high school, it was all football from then on.
Jackson played tight end and defensive end at Pleasant Grove High School, and though he did get some interest based on his tight end abilities, defense was always his passion.
“I like to hit,” Jackson said with a smile.
Jackson’s high school career did involve setbacks. He tore his ACL in his sophomore campaign, but when doctors game-planned to repair it, they believed the 6-foot-2 Jackson’s growth plates were still open, so they didn’t want to do a full repair, knowing he could outgrow it. Instead, they sewed his ligament back together and told him he would likely have to have full ACL surgery later if he wanted to continue playing football. Two years later, Jackson broke his ankle as a senior.
Jackson, who originally committed to and attended LSU, decided to get his knee fully repaired during his freshman season in Baton Rouge after recovering from his broken ankle, playing only five games that season. Since his sophomore year in Fayetteville, Jackson has been injury-free.
Now he has become a staple on the Hogs’ defensive line. Jackson’s pass-rush win rate and pressure percentage this season are both above 11% for the first time in his career. He’s also just three pressures away from his single-season career high, with almost half a season still to go. On top of that, his 85.5 PFF run-defense grade is a top-10 mark in the Power Five. Jackson credits his consistent progression to coachability.
“The biggest thing I’ve improved on, it’s got to be taking coaching,” Jackson said. “When I was younger, I don’t want to say that I thought I knew it all, but I always had [somewhat stubborn] questions of ‘Oh okay, but can’t I just do it this way?’ And now, I still ask [the right] questions, but now I fully take it in — really wanting to be coached and wanting to be critiqued, even for the ‘good’ reps. I want coach to tell me where I can be better in every aspect and perfect my craft.”
Landon Jackson's 2024 PFF Grades
Then, of course, there’s Jackson’s play style. He is a handful for offensive linemen to stay in front of, not just because of his unique size, but also his motor and willingness to be physical in all aspects of the game. That goes back to his roots.
“My parents played a big part in that,” Jackson said. “[Growing up playing sports], I wasn’t going to waste my time or their time to just be out there. So I’ve always had a mindset to kind of just play pissed off. I’ve always had the mindset to play like I’m the worst player on the field and I’ve got something to prove. You’re only as good as your last game, so anytime you go out there, you have to play your best.”
Jackson has found plenty of examples to follow to keep that mindset in check. Maxx Crosby, Cameron Jordan and Aidan Hutchinson are some of his go-to NFL pass-rushers to watch, and Jackson’s younger brother, Lance, is a top-50, four-star defensive end recruit currently committed to Texas. Landon said Lance could throw a baseball 92 mph in eighth grade. And when it comes to football, he believes Lance will be better than him.
Right now, Jackson is the No. 45 prospect on PFF’s 2025 NFL Draft Big Board. He’ll have two more fantastic opportunities to solidify his draft status, in matchups against LSU and Texas and their NFL-caliber offensive tackle duos
It may have taken the fourth-year edge defender longer than expected to be a consistent, versatile, strong defensive presence at the college level due to injuries and new teams, but he’s here. That comes down to his background and the relentless nature with which he plays the game at any position on the defensive line — something every NFL team will look into next April.
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