Duke’s Zach Jackson: young safety still in the proving-grounds phase
In the 2024 season, Zach Jackson was a freshman safety at Duke and did not see game action, while Duke listed him as a returning safety for 2025—so the big story here is projection, not production yet. He entered Duke as a 5-foot-11, 180-pound defensive back from Holy Innocents Episcopal in Georgia, and the recruiting profile points to an athletic, developmental secondary piece rather than an instant-impact star. Why care? He’s the kind of player who can become valuable if he grows into the physicality and processing speed needed for ACC football; right now, he looks more like a long-term fit than a plug-and-play answer.
