Stanford football recruiting: scouting take on defensive lineman Dylan Jackson

Sometimes it doesn't take very long when watching a recruit's film to realize that he is a perfect fit for a certain scheme or a certain school who runs that scheme.

It took me less than 30 seconds to come to the conclusion that Dylan Jackson is going to be great fit in Stanford's defense. What kind of player are the Cardinal getting in Jackson?

Dylan Jackson - 3 star defensive end

Jackson is built perfectly to be a 5 technique end in a 3-4 defense. He has good size and the kind of length that is ideal for the position. He has the frame to add quite a bit more weight as well.

He's a good athlete for his size that moves well laterally. He shows a solid power step off the snap of the football and is athletic enough that he could be an end in a 4-3 defense as well, but he would not have the speed or be able to bend enough to be an edge rusher. That's okay though because he shows plenty of potential as a pass rusher as more of an interior presence that uses his hands fairly well to swat away the punch of an offensive lineman. He's quick enough to convert speed to power and deliver a good bull rush and also will get his long arms up into passing lanes to deflect the football.

Versus the run I think he relies on being quick with his hands to arm over opponents a bit too often and I'd like to see more violence with his punch. He does use his length well to disengage from blockers, plays with good pad level, and flashes the ability to be stout at the point of attack.

Jackson has the type of athletic ability and frame that makes you think he could one day develop into another Henry Anderson type of end for the Cardinal once he adds more weight and strength on The Farm. He's a very good pickup for David Shaw and defensive line coach Randy Hart has to be excited about his potential.