Spartans football landed yet another top junior college recruit for the 2004 season.
Kenny Jackson, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound wide receiver from Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, Calif., said he couldn't have pictured himself anywhere but East Lansing.
"Going to MSU was something I had always been interested in," Jackson said. "They're one of my favorite out-of-state teams."
One of the top wide receivers in the junior college scene, Jackson was recruited heavily by Iowa State before committing to the Spartans. He said he was really impressed with the campus.
"I was just happy to be there," Jackson said. "The school was big, the indoor facility and weight room were nice, and the players were cool. Everything felt like a dream."
Though he played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back in high school, Bakersfield head coach Jeff Chudy said Jackson poses a big threat in his current position at wide receiver.
"He's got great size and above average speed," he said. "He's a physical specimen, an all-around athlete."
Among the awards Jackson has received, he was named first-team All-Western States Conference for his performance this fall.
As a freshman in 2002, Jackson led the team in catches with 23 for 224 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions. He also was an honorable mention All-Western States Conference.
Last fall, Jackson had 596 receiving yards and four touchdown passes. He had 72 career receptions and set a modern-day Raiders record for single-season receptions with 49. Chudy said he was impressed that Jackson improved his game that much in a single season.
"He's just an all-around better player," Chudy said. "He's bigger, stronger and faster, the whole nine yards."
MSU commit Daniel Zynn also said he was impressed with Jackson's playing ability.
"He's a good player who comes from a good team," he said. "He seems like he's got a great attitude."
Zynn, along with teammate and future Spartan Domata Peko, played against Jackson this season in their team's 28-21 win over the Raiders.
"Before we played them, I didn't really pay attention to his name," Zynn said. "Our coaches stressed that (the Raiders) had good receivers, and they were obviously talking about Jackson."
A native of Florida, Jackson is in his second year at Bakersfield, and Zynn said he's only been exposed to warm weather.
"He's never really seen snow before," he said. "So, he was pretty surprised when he saw it on his recruiting trip."
In a move reminiscent of offensive guard Joe Tate, Jackson pursued MSU for recruitment. Last summer, he sent MSU a highlight tape of his freshman season. He said he was compelled to do so because he liked MSU so much. He even remembered seeing MSU's victory over Florida in the 2000 Citrus Bowl.
"I had never really seen a team beat Florida in a bowl game like that," he said.
Jackson is set to replace Samuel Champagne, who left the Spartans this year to pursue a football career in his native Canada. Jackson plans to begin training at MSU in May.
Zynn said he's just glad he'll no longer have to play against Jackson.
"It was frustrating playing against him at times, because we would stop the run and he would manage to get a first down on third and twelve," he said. "I'd rather have him on my team."
