Oklahoma State football: Top 3 Prospects for 2022 NFL Draft
By John Scimeca
3
Dezmon Jackson RB
Dezmon Jackson burst onto the scene in 2020 by making the most of injuries to two running backs starting ahead of him. Before a November game against Texas Tech, Jackson had only carried the ball 18 times in mostly end-game situations. Jackson had originally starred at Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College before redshirting in 2019.
That all changed, however, in the Cowboys’ 50-44 triumph against the Red Raiders. The El Dorado, Ark. product burst through holes and ran through or around defenders for much of the game, helping OSU bounce back from a tough Bedlam loss the week before. He finished the Texas Tech game with 36 carries for 235 yards and three touchdowns, the highest single-game rushing total of any Big 12 player in the 2020 season.
Jackson followed up that effort against the Red Raiders with 118 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries against TCU the following week. He finished the 2020 season with 547 rushing yards and 5.5 yards per carry.
Ironically, one thing that may hamper Jackson’s 2022 NFL Draft profile is the depth that OSU has at running back. There’s new juco transfer Jaylen Warren from Utah, another 2020 emerging star in former Bishop McGuinnness standout Dominic Richardson, and returning veteran LD Brown. It’s a talented backfield in which touches and snaps will be at a premium in 2021.