How Coastal Carolina’s Tarron Jackson may have helped his NFL Draft stock on Tuesday
Coastal Carolina defensive end Tarron Jackson anticipates hearing his named called during the 2021 NFL Draft from April 29 to May 1.
The 2020 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year took a big step toward that goal during Coastal Carolina’s football Pro Day on Tuesday at Brooks Stadium.
Jackson was invited to the NFL Combine, where players have the opportunity to improve their draft stock by displaying physical skills in a setting with other draft hopefuls.
But because the combine won’t be held due to the ongoing pandemic, Jackson had to perform Tuesday all of the drills he would have normally completed at the combine, rather than focusing on his position-specific drills at CCU and the skills challenges he would have wanted to improve upon.
“If you crush certain things then you don’t repeat them at Pro Day,” said Jackson’s agent, Chris Turnage of the United Athlete Sports agency based in Arkansas. “The goal would be to just work on position drills today and not have to worry about any of the other stuff because you do it so well at the combine.”
Turnage said early rumblings within NFL circles have Jackson possibly being selected around the fifth round, but he believes his Pro Day performance will go a long way in determining his draft prospects.
“We’ll know a little bit more on that in a week or so after the Pro Day,” Turnage said.
Jackson has been training for the past couple months at the Michael Johnson Performance center in Texas.
“It’s a blessing,” Jackson said following his Pro Day workout. “Growing up, watching the NFL, watching the draft and all this stuff, just to have an opportunity to prepare to even get drafted and go to a team and earn a spot, that’s a blessing to me. So I’m just looking forward to the journey.”
About 15 NFL teams sent scouts to the Pro Day, and many conducted interviews with participants following the drills.
Jackson was joined in the Pro Day by running back C.J. Marable, defensive tackle Sterling Johnson, who signed with the New York Jets following the 2019 season but was released before the 2020 season, and cornerback Mallory Claybourne, who tore knee ligaments during the 2019 season.
Unofficially, Turnage had Jackson running 40-yard dash times of 4.62 to 4.66, which both he and Jackson were pleased with — though CCU unofficially had the 40 times at 4.70 and 4.71 — and posting a 9-foot, 10-inch broad jump that matched a personal best.
He also posted a 4.51-second short shuttle, 29.5-inch vertical jump, and 25 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press.
“I think I did pretty good. Especially on the broad jump, 9-10,” Jackson said. “I think I did a pretty good job, especially in the position work. I’ve still got some things to work on but I definitely feel like I had a good day.”
Jackson leaves Coastal with a degree in mathematics and impressive on-field resume.
Despite seeing double-teams on more than 60 percent of his snaps this past season, according to CCU athletics, Jackson recorded 54 tackles, 14 tackles for loss including 8.5 sacks, 18 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 12 games.
For his CCU career, he recorded 195 tackles, 44.5 tackles for loss, 26.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 48 games.
Jackson interviewed in person with representatives of all 32 NFL teams at the Senior Bowl, and has had follow-up Zoom interviews with seven teams since, he said.
But Turnage believes he will still be hurt by the loss of the one-on-one interviews he would have done at the combine, and possibly prior to the Pro Day, because he considers Jackson’s work ethic, personality and character to be advantages in the process.
“He is just extremely personable. Just a kid that you get in a good mood after you talk to him no matter when it is,” Turnage said. “His specialty defensive line trainer and outside linebacker trainer working with him in Dallas, on his position work and different things, both said he’s one of the hardest working guys they’ve ever had.
“His work ethic and his determination, and that says a lot because they’ve worked with over 30 or 40 NFL guys each. So those interviews might give him an advantage over another guy who doesn’t have the same intangibles.”
Jackson was already a physical specimen at CCU, where he was listed at 260 pounds. He has dropped even more fat to further chisel his now 6-2, 254-pound body with his work at the highly-regarded Michael Johnson Performance center.
“It definitely feels like it has given me an advantage, especially in terms of getting involved with positions I didn’t know,” Jackson said. “Like I didn’t play outside linebacker here so getting used to the movement and the footwork, and especially for the combine stuff, that’s one of the best facilities in the world to get you ready for the 40 and stuff like that, so that was definitely an advantage for me to be able to go to Michael Johnson Performance.”
Jackson said the weight training he was put through by Chad Scott, CCU’s director of football speed, strength and conditioning over the past couple years, prepared him for the work he’s doing in Dallas.
“Coach Scott, I can’t even say into words how much he’s helped me through this journey,” Jackson said. “Going into training it has been nothing because the stuff I faced here at Coastal and the adversity coach Scott puts you through, man, it gets you ready for anything.”
Jackson will try to maximize his NFL opportunity with a willingness to play multiple positions.
“My versatility is key,” he said. “Every team I talk to I make it a point to let them know I can play any position for them. I’m a coachable player so wherever I go I’m going to work at it, whether it be an outside linebacker or defensive end, whatever they may have me at. I’m going to work at it and I know I’m going to be successful at it.”
He displayed that at the Senior Bowl, where he was unable to play an outside pass rush position on the line, where he excels.
“There was a little frustration . . . but he wasn’t down about it,” Turnage said. “He considered it a chance to learn a new position. He went there and still battled. Having that kind of attitude, and even seeing him progress at the Senior Bowl throughout the week at a position he hadn’t really played before is incredible. He’s a very mentally tough, very strong-willed, determined young man who has absolutely been a pleasure to work with.”
Attracting nearly half of the NFL teams to the Pro Day may be a byproduct of both Jackson’s potential and the success of the 2020 team, which attracted national attention and boosted the profile of the program, perhaps in the minds of NFL scouts.
“Publicity brings everything. It brings opportunity,” Claybourne said. “So I’m glad Coastal has done well. Players and the program itself, if they keep working in that direction, scouts and more attention are going to come along. That was a big deal this year.”
The four participants Tuesday were all requested by at least one NFL team.
C.J. Marable
Marable has been training at Boost Sports Performance in Nashville, Tennessee.
“I got way better with my hands, my footwork, my speed, everything. I feel good,” he said.
He was his team’s Offensive MVP of the Hula Bowl on Jan. 31, but admitted Tuesday that he almost didn’t participate in the game.
“To be honest I wasn’t even going to go,” Marable said. “But some of the kids in the facility I was at, they told me to go out there, it’s a good opportunity in Hawaii, so I went out there and balled out the whole week and got the MVP. It was a blessing.”
Marable is quick and shifty, and a great receiver out of the backfield, as he displayed on Tuesday during his position drills.
He ended his career with a catch in 32 consecutive games, and is No. 2 on the all-time CCU career rushing list with 2,691 yards in three seasons, trailing only former NFL back De’Angelo Henderson. He rushed for more than 3,700 yards including a season at Presbyterian.
Marable believes the continued specialization of the running back in the NFL may open up a door for him.
“Nowadays in the NFL you don’t have just one running back, [teams] have like three different running backs. Running backs with different skill sets,” Marable said. “I’m more versatile. I can catch the ball, run the ball, so I feel like that’s beneficial on my part.”
Unofficially according to CCU, Marable weighed in at 5-6 and 195 pounds, ran a 4.53 and 4.59 in the 40, leaped an impressive 36 inches in the vertical jump, registered a 9-foot-8 broad jump, posted 4.34 seconds in the short shuttle, and bench-pressed 225 pounds 17 times.
“Today was a blessing. I came into it with the right mindset. I couldn’t even sleep last night, like I was thinking about it and dreaming about it all day,” Marable said.
Marable said he and his agent, Kevin Conner, have been in touch with several teams including the Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons.
Sterling Johnson
Johnson was signed last year as an undrafted free agent by the Jets but was released on Aug. 31 just before the start of the season. There was no preseason training camps or preseason games in the NFL because of COVID-19, so players in his circumstance had no real chance to compete for a roster spot.
“To be able to come back and showcase my talents really means a lot, especially somewhere I played, so I’m thankful for that,” Johnson said. “Last year was pretty up and down. . . . With no preseason and no pro day it was hard for me to kind of get back on teams’ radars. Then you wonder if you’re ever going to get another shot, things of that nature go through your head.”
Johnson prepared for the Pro Day at Archetype Strength in Cary, N.C., which is a landing spot for some NFL players, and by working with his speed specialist, Will Bradley of Will Bradley Sports Performance in Greensboro, N.C.
Unofficially, Johnson weighed in at 6-3 and 288, ran times of 5.22 and 5.36 in the 40, and registered a vertical jump of 28 feet, broad jump of 8-foot-7 and 4.81 seconds in the short shuttle, and matched Jackson by bench-pressing 225 pounds 25 times.
“I thought I had a decent day today,” Johnson said. “Obviously there are some things I wish I could have performed better in, but you know overall I think my [performance] was pretty good.”
Johnson played his final two seasons in Conway after transferring from Clemson, and in 2019 he recorded 41 tackles, 10 tackles for loss including 3.5 sacks, eight QB hurries, two pass breakups and a blocked kick.
He recognizes he’ll need to do the little things and give attention to details if given an opportunity with an NFL team. The Jets were interested in seeing him perform on Tuesday.
“Obviously not everyone is a multi-millionaire ballplayer,” Johnson said. “A lot of guys stay around by doing the right things, being on time, doing what the coaches ask. Those things I try to take into account.”
Mallory Claybourne
Claybourne, a cover cornerback, was expected to get some looks from NFL teams following the 2019 season but tore his anterior-cruciate ligament (ACL) prior to the end of the season and spent much of 2020 rehabbing.
Unofficially, Claybourne weighed in at 5-9 and 191 pounds, ran times of 4.57 and 4.59 in the 40, and registered a vertical jump of 33 inches, broad jump of 9-foot-8, short shuttle time of 4.32 seconds, and 12 bench press reps.
“I’d like to thank my support system, my teammates, family,” he said. “It was a lot coming back. It was a mental grind, mental preparation. A lot of hard nights, lonely nights. But I’m glad to come back strong.
“. . . I learned a lot. Mental health is serious. If you can get through that, talk to somebody, do that right away, it will take you to another level. I mean I was going through a lot at times when I didn’t have anybody in my corner. But once I started to reach out to people that kind of helped me. I’m glad I’m out here and competing and showing what I can do off the injury.”
Claybourne worked four security jobs last year, including at a nightclub, a bar and a hospital.
He trained for the Pro Day at Grossetti Performance in Pennsylvania, and was in peak physical condition, dropping from 215 pounds following his knee injury to 191 on Tuesday.
“It has meant a lot just to come back through trials and tribulations on top in terms of the injury,” he said. “Working helped me keep my mind focused and sharp through the whole process. It’s just a humbling experience to get better through the injury.”
Claybourne said he has been contacted by several teams including the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 8:30 PM.
