247Sports has Jackson pegged as a four-star football prospect and the No. 10 running back nationally in the Class of 2024. He's also a state championship-level track and field sprinter and led the Cleveland area with a .542 batting average on the diamond last spring.
The original Bo Jackson captured the nation's attention by being out-of-this-world at everything. He won the Heisman Trophy at Auburn. Between 1987 and 1990 he hit 107 home runs with the Kansas City Royals and had 3,134 total yards with the Los Angeles Raiders while being an all-star in both sports.
Bo Jackson of Villa Angela-St. Joseph is one of the nation's top prospects in the junior class. He's averaging nearly 14 yards per carry this season for the 5-1 Vikings. (Photo: 247Sports)
The popular "Bo Knows" Nike campaign that highlighted his athletic versatility helped make him a household name.
In high school at
McAdory (McCalla, Ala.), Jackson was a state champion decathlete and a state indoor record holder in the high jump and triple jump.
Villa Angela-St. Joseph's Jackson can also do it all. He rarely comes off the field for the Vikings, who are coached by Jeff Rotsky – also All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce's high school coach at
Cleveland Heights.
Through six games this season Jackson has 13 rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns, a 40-yard touchdown pass and a 55-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Last week in a 56-39 win over McDowell (Erie, Pa.), Jackson carried the rock 12 times for 190 yards and three touchdowns. One of those included a 65-yard score where four defenders had an angle on him before he turned on his jets to race by them into the end zone.
According to stats published by
The News-Herald in Cleveland, Jackson has 745 rushing yards on 54 carries, an average of 13.8 yards per rush.
Hudl highlights also show the 6-foot-1, 207-pounder has at least two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception this season as a hard-hitting safety for a 5-1 squad ranked No. 9 in Ohio's Division III.
Jackson also holds the sophomore record at Villa Angela-St. Joseph in the 100-meter and 200-meter events.
Last spring, he went to the state championship in the 200-meter and finished 13th. He was the No. 2 sophomore behind
Dawayne Galloway Jr., a three-star football player at
Marion-Franklin (Columbus, Ohio). The two could eventually become football or even multi-sport teammates at Michigan, where each currently holds an offer.
Ohio State, Notre Dame and Penn State are among the 12 schools who have extended offers to Jackson.
