The past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind for Carmel sophomore Camron Jackson.
He has zoomed up the depth chart since crossing state lines to attend a new school.
“It’s been a few really big steps, and it’s been great getting to know all of the guys,” Jackson said. “One of the big reasons I came here was to play football, and I have high expectations. They put me on JV since I was a transfer, and they wanted to see me play.”
Jackson, whose primary position is running back, played the first two games on the junior varsity team and then was promoted before the Corsairs’ Week 3 game against Providence. While getting acclimated, he appeared in two games solely on special teams.
The next test came Friday, when Jackson was sent onto the field by assistant Rashied Davis to return a kickoff during the first half of Carmel’s 70-7 road win over Marian Catholic.
Jackson’s 94-yard return for a touchdown on his first varsity touch suggests he has a bright future ahead.
“I was ready to go to my position, and coach Davis told me that I was returning this one,” Jackson said. “I caught it, and I ran to the left, and our fullback, Lucas Gonzalez, blocked one dude, and I cut up the field. Then I saw another open hole, and I hit that.
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“I ran it down the sideline, and I saw the kicker, and he was about to get me. So I cut up the middle, and I got to the end zone and fell in because I was tired. I’m still in a state of shock.”
Indeed, that is quite a debut, but Jackson wouldn’t have climbed the ladder so quickly if he didn’t have the skills to stick around. Although he’s a newcomer for the Corsairs (4-1), he had initially gotten onto the coaches’ radars after attending a summer camp in middle school.
Jackson, who played his freshman season on the JV team at Westosha Central in Wisconsin, was admitted to Carmel for this school year and didn’t need much time to make a favorable impression.
“You see the explosiveness he has at running back,” Carmel coach Jason McKie said. “He has really good speed. He’s a track guy as well. We were definitely excited for him to get his first real taste of varsity action, and you see how well he came out and played.”
As McKie mentioned, Jackson also showed what he can do in the backfield late in the game, taking one of his carries 60 yards down the far sideline. That time on the field did wonders for Jackson’s confidence.
“Friday helped me out a lot because even before the game I was wondering if I could play with these guys,” he said. “In my first couple of games, it was pretty noticeable the intensity, physicality and speed that the game moves at. Running downfield, seeing people get hit, I remember thinking, ‘These guys are monsters.’ But after the game, I felt like a whole different person.
“Once the butterflies went out, I could get into my zone and play my own game. I wasn’t worried. It was just me and the ball against the other team.”
Carmel sophomore defensive lineman Kristian Chadick, who usually sees Jackson on the opposite side of the ball during practices, said Jackson has proved he belongs.
“You scope someone like him out and see what he’s made of,” Chadick said. “When you’re in that position, you feel like you have to earn your reps and work a little harder than the guys who have been there.
“He definitely has that quickness and agility. He’s doing great so far.”
Jackson has joined several other sophomores who are making an impact for Carmel. That group includes Chadick, linebacker Jameer Miles, wide receiver Gregory Bess-Henning II, and running backs Jaquel Edmonds and Jorden Moore.
“I’ve gotten pretty close to some of those guys and feel like I belong,” Jackson said. “If we can help the team accomplish its goals, we’ll be that much better once we’re older.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.