FSU Recruiting: Dontavious Jackson Telling Texas Recruits ‘Be Different’

FSU recruiting could see an uptick in the state of Texas with players like Dontavious Jackson establishing the pipeline.

Noles247’s Josh Newberg did a good interview with 2016 FSU linebacker signee Dontavious Jackson yesterday.

The heralded consensus four-star recruit shocked a lot of people by choosing FSU football over the likes of in-state powers Texas, Texas A&M and Baylor on National Signing Day.

ICYMI: Jackson chooses the ‘Noles over Texas on NSD

Jackson spoke about what it’s like to be a FSU signee in the state of Texas where most players stay in-state to play their college football:

"Let’s say there’s a big group of people or football players standing around talking. People start asking where you’re going and you hear the other guys say ‘I’m going to Texas’ or ‘I’m going to Baylor’ or Houston or Texas A&M and then I say ‘I’m going to Florida State’, it rings. People look at me and say ‘okay, Florida State, huh?’. It’s like they don’t expect it from a Texas guy. It’s kind of a rarity and I stand out."

Jackson said that he and all of the #TRIBE16 recruiting class talk almost daily and that he’ll be leaving Texas to enroll at FSU on Monday, June 6.

When asked about FSU recruiting success in the state of Texas, Jackson said he didn’t think it was a fluke that they landed him and that he expects more Texas players to follow him to Tallahassee.

"I don’t think it was a fluke. We’re going to do the same thing this year and there’s going to be more than just one. I feel like we are going to get a group out of Texas this year. I talk to some of the guys in this years class and I just tell them to be different. I tell them that we could be like everyone else and go down the street to Baylor, Texas or U of H, but I chose to be different and step out of the box. Getting away from Texas can help you mature. That’s the key point I try to tell them. Getting away from home, living away from your parents can help you be a man."

FSU recruiting ace Tim Brewster and defensive coordinator Charles Kelly have spent a lot of time in Texas recently as has coach Odell Haggins. One huge target (literally) is Marvin Wilson, the five-star consensus recruit and No. 1 ranked defensive tackle in the nation who attends Episcopal HS in Texas.

Wilson attended Junior Day at FSU in February and had a great visit by all accounts. It’s looking to be a FSU, Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma battle.

If FSU is able to pull Wilson out of Texas it would be a massive haul as they already have Ja’len Parks who’s the No. 7 ranked defensive tackles and his high school teammate Corey Durden who’s the No. 19 ranked defensive tackle committed for the 2017 class.

FSU recruiting other targets in the state of Texas are consensus five-star and No. 1 ranked safety in the nation Jeffrey Okudah, and consensus four-star defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson. However, these two players are considerable long shots at best in my opinion.

must read: Are 'Noles In Need of Recruiting Momentum?

Head over and read the rest of the interview where Jackson talks about which FSU coaches got him to FSU, and the funniest Tim Brewster story he could think of plus more.