University of Connecticut Athletics
Jackson Mitchell: Narrowing the Focus to Linebacker
2/29/2020 1:19:00โฏPM | Football
Linebacker Jackson Mitchell was one of the breakout stars for UConn last season. As a freshman, he worked his way from playing exclusively on special teams at the start of the season to becoming one of the starting linebackers by the end.
Despite coming on late, Mitchell still finished third on the team in tackles with 65. He also added two tackles for loss, half a sack, a pass break up and a fumble recovery. He seemed to settle right in, and he showed his value to the team right away.
"I was a little nervous at first, but then once I got my feet wet, it was exciting to play and be able to be a starter on a D-I college football team," Mitchell said.
Mitchell is another Connecticut native from Ridgefield. Much like his teammate Jay Rose, he also grew up a fan of UConn football. He remembers watching the team's appearance in the Fiesta Bowl in 2011. He said it's special to be able to play college football so close to home.
"It's definitely exciting," Mitchell said. "A lot of people can come see me play because it's real close and a lot of games are close. And it's just nice to represent your home state, the state that I've grown up in."
While at Ridgefield High School, Mitchell had a remarkable football career. As a sophomore, he helped bring the team to the state championship game, and as a junior and senior, he emerged as one of the top players in Connecticut, getting named to numerous all-state teams his senior year.
Perhaps his best trait in high school was his ability to play multiple positions. Mitchell played defensive end, wide receiver and safety and was incredibly productive in all three roles. Notice the one position missing there is his current position, but he knew based on his size and skills that linebacker would likely be his position in college.
"I think that's where I always saw myself playing in college," Mitchell said. "Like when I went to college camps and stuff like that, I went for linebacker, and then the coaches that recruited me all wanted me to play linebacker, so that's what I chose."
Mitchell said there was definitely an adjustment to the new position, but it wasn't as drastic as one may think.
"There were definitely transferable skills," Mitchell said. "I think every position requires you to be an athlete first, so I think I was able to use that to my advantage. When I was playing safety in high school, I had to guard slot receivers and tight ends and stuff like that, and I still gotta do that now as a linebacker."
He said that the older linebackers on the team last year like D.J. Morgan and Ryan Gilmartin served as mentors to him and helped him transition to the college level. Mitchell said he loves his new position because of the wide range of things it requires him to do.
"You get to do it all," Mitchell said. "You get to drop back in coverage, you get to run all around the field and make tackles and you get to pass rush."
He said that while he does miss playing on both sides of the ball, it's nice for him to actually get a break during the game now.
Mitchell clearly adjusted well to his new position, but he feels like he can do a lot to improve in his sophomore season, such as reading offenses better.
"Last year, I was a young guy, but I don't have that excuse anymore this year," Mitchell said.
He said he is expecting a big year from himself and the defense as a whole, as he is already seeing improvements during the spring practices.
