Ja'Quinden Jackson leads wide open race for Texas football Player of the Year

Zach Evans, Hudson Card also among 10 players with big-time ability, potential to take over.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Randy Jennings
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Oct 8, 2019, 3:15pm
Video: Highlights of Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The Ohio State-bound receiver hopes to return from a shoulder injury.

The regular season is half over, giving us plenty of numbers and evidence to come up with a Texas football Player of the Year watch list.

(Alphabetical order)

QB Hudson Card — Lake Travis (Austin)
In his team's 5-1 start, the 6-2, 179-pound Texas commit is 90-of-131 passing for 1,449 yards, 16 TD, 2 interceptions. He's also rushed 37 times for 175 yards and three scores.

RB Zach Evans — North Shore (Houston)
The nation's top-rated running back carried nine times for 95 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 17-yard scoring catch in North Shore's 52-14 win over King (Houston) in Week 6. He sat out two games in the first month of the season and has 267 rushing yards on 26 carries for five touchdowns. The 5-11, 200-pound five-star recruit is coming off a 2,785-yard rushing season as a junior when he helped North Shore to the 6A-DI state title.
Zach Evans, North Shore
Zach Evans, North Shore
File photo by Maria Lysaker
RB Dezmond Forrest — Weatherford
The 5-7, 165-pound junior leads the state with 24 touchdowns and 146 points. He has 916 rushing yards on 100 carries for 17 touchdowns and 22 pass receptions for 485 yards and seven scores.

The 6-2, 205-pound sophomore has thrown for a state-high 2,047 yards and 20 touchdowns, hitting on 119-of-187 passing attempts.

The 5-9, 190-pound senior transfer from South Carolina has rushed for 603 yards and eight touchdowns on 103 attempts for the 5-0 Tigers.

QB Ja'Quinden Jackson — Duncanville
The Texas pledge led Duncanville to the Class 6A-D1 title game a year ago and has helped the state's No. 1 ranked team to a 5-0 start. The 6-2, 219-pounder is 45-of-74 passing for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a runner, Jackson (30 carries, 142 yards, one touchdown) is behind last year's 1,497-yard, 23-touchdown pace.
Ja'Quinden Jackson, Duncanville
Ja'Quinden Jackson, Duncanville
File photo by Robbie Rakestraw
QB Haynes King — Longview
Following up last year's Class 6A-D2 state title, the Texas A&M pledge has led his team to a 5-0 start. The son of head coach John King has completed 52-of-98 pass 745 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 189-pounder is also a running threat with 23 carries for 210 yards and seven touchdowns.

RB Jase McClellan — Aledo
The four-year starter got off to a solid start in the opening two games with 299 rushing yards and eight touchdowns along with 83 receiving yards and another score. But the Oklahoma pledge has been sidelined by injury for the last three. For his career, the 5-10, 202-pounder has 4,103 rushing yards on 524 carries for 83 touchdowns.

Led Scots to the 5A-D1 state title last year, the schools third in a row. The 5-10, 175-pound Arkansas pledge is 90-of-130 passing for 1,387 yards 12 TD and on the ground, he's rushed 49 times for 254 yards and nine scores.

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba — Rockwall
After a dream start to the season, the Ohio State pledge was injured early in a Week 5 loss at Longview and sat out the Yellowjackets win over Horn (Mesquite) last week with a strained shoulder. For the season, the 6-1, 188-pounder has 36 catches for 763 yards and 11 touchdowns. Including kickoff returns, he is averaging 179.2 yards per game.

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