Football

The Dotted Line: Buckeyes-bound offensive lineman Jackson headlines the 2021 Fabulous 55

Posted February 6th, 2020

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

mcraven@hookem.com

The 2021 Fabulous 55 is headlined by big men. The next recruiting cycle is loaded with talented offensive and defensive linemen.

The top five spots of the American-Statesman’s initial list of the state’s top recruits are occupied by players who project to play on the offensive line or defensive end, including our No. 1-ranked player, Houston Bellaire Episcopal offensive lineman Donovan Jackson.

The 6-4, 308-pound junior is the No. 1-ranked guard in the 2021 class and is already committed to Ohio State. His family is from Ohio.

“Ohio State was the right fit academically and athletically,” Jackson said. “I have strong ties to Ohio. My decision was a dream come true.”

Bellaire Episcopal is a private school in the heart of a state that glorifies public school football. Jackson thinks there are positives and negatives to playing outside of the stereotypical Friday night lights. 

“One of the positives is that our playoffs aren’t as deep, and that means less damage on our bodies than a guy at a 6A school,” he said. “We still get recruited as those guys at the big programs. The negatives include how scouts and analysts perceive private school ball.” 

Jackson put those perceptions to rest at the 2019 Opening Finals in Frisco. As a junior, he earned offensive line MVP honors despite being mixed in with the top 2020 senior offensive line prospects in the country. It was a confidence booster. And a statement. 

“Going against the top guys in the nation and winning most of the reps only proved to me what other coaches saw in me,” he explained. “I am extremely grateful for the experience and hope to accomplish the same thing this year.” 

Jackson is admired among his peers. He’s among a foursome of highly-rated linemen based in the Houston area. The group includes Jackson, Bryce Foster, Reuben Fatheree II and UT commit Hayden Conner. Each one made the Fabulous 55, and each knows Jackson is among the best in the country. 

“He is such a hard worker and an amazing guy,” said Foster, who checks in at No. 5. “He has amazing feet as well.” 

Tommy Brockermeyer, a five-star lineman from Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal, is another TAPPS player ready to shuck the perception of a private school player. Brockermeyer is a  6-6, 283-pound tackle with offers from every major program in America, including Texas, where his dad Blake starred. His older brother Luke is already a linebacker with the Longhorns. Brockermeyer missed his junior season with a shoulder injury. 

Texas commit Ja’Tavion Sanders ranks third on the Fab 55. The Denton Ryan prospects starts at wide receiver and defensive end for the Class 5A powerhouse, but defensive end is his expected college position. Same with Landon Jackson, who secured the fourth spot on the list after a dominant junior season that ended with Texarkana Pleasant Grove claiming its second title in his three-year varsity career. 

Foster, an interior lineman from Katy Taylor, takes the fifth spot. 

Texas commits litter the first Fab 55. Sanders is the top-rated pledge at No. 3 followed by No. 6 Billy Bowman Jr., No. 10 Jalen Milroe, No. 26 Derrick Harris Jr., No. 31 Hayden Conner and No. 48 Lake McRee. Texas’ class already consists of seven members.