Isaiah Jackson isn’t the kind of name you’ll find lighting up recruiting rankings or dominating national headlines. But don’t let that fool you - the Rockcastle County product has the kind of drive, versatility, and chip-on-the-shoulder mentality that programs like Kentucky thrive on.
At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Jackson was a do-it-all weapon in high school. His senior season stat line reads like a highlight reel: 1,171 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, 302 receiving yards with six scores, a kickoff return touchdown, and 44 tackles on defense, including seven for loss and two forced fumbles. He lined up at cornerback, linebacker, running back, and receiver - whatever Rockcastle County needed, he delivered.
But ask those closest to him, and they’ll tell you his future is at wide receiver.
“He’ll be a better receiver in college,” said Rockcastle head coach Chris Larkey. “We had to play him at running back to win games, and he understood that.”
That versatility caught the eye of former Louisville recruiting director Pete Nochta at a summer camp. Jackson initially committed to the Cardinals, but when Kentucky’s new staff - led by head coach Will Stein - came calling, things changed. A visit to Lexington sealed the deal.
“I was going to stick with Louisville,” Jackson said. “But Coach Larkey told me to at least visit Kentucky.
I liked the culture, I liked talking to Coach Stein, and the new offensive coordinator, Joe Sloan, and receivers coach Joe Price. They broke down film with me, and that’s when I knew I was going to flip.”
It wasn’t just about the Xs and Os. It was about being seen. Jackson still remembers being overlooked by the previous Kentucky staff - and he’s carrying that with him.
“It motivates me that the old staff didn’t even look at me. I still don’t know why,” he said. “I feel like I was very under-recruited, but now people will see what I’ve really got when I get to Kentucky.”
He’s walking on at UK - thanks to in-state tuition - but don’t mistake that for a lack of talent. Jackson is a three-star prospect with NFL bloodlines.
His cousin? Former first-round pick Eric Ebron, who starred at North Carolina before carving out a solid NFL career with Detroit, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh.
Ebron finished with 351 catches, 3,837 yards, and 33 touchdowns over 106 games.
Jackson grew up watching Ebron play, tagging along to Tar Heel and Lions games, soaking it all in. But he’s never wanted a handout.
“My grandpa showed him how to play football and showed me too,” Jackson said. “That’s always been my dream.
I talked to [Ebron] some and he gave me good tips, but I never wanted help. I wanted to prove I could do this myself.”
That independent streak runs deep. Jackson moved from Rhode Island to Kentucky in sixth grade as a foster child. He says the transition wasn’t easy - especially adjusting to a place with less diversity - but he found stability with his foster family and leaned into the work.
“There was not as much diversity here as I was used to in Rhode Island, but it was not terrible,” Jackson said. “My foster family helped me a lot, but I was still the one who had to put the work in - and I did.”
He’s only the third Division I football signee to come out of Rockcastle County. The first two - Jason Leger and Brad Durham - both played at Kentucky.
In fact, Durham also flipped from Louisville to UK, just like Jackson. It’s a pattern that fits.
Jackson grew up a Kentucky fan, and in Rockcastle County, that’s the norm.
“Everybody here loves Kentucky,” he said.
Coach Larkey believes Jackson’s choice to join the Wildcats - especially under a new coaching regime - gives him a real shot to make his mark.
“He had a great relationship with the Louisville coaches,” Larkey said. “But he liked the idea of playing at places like Alabama, Georgia, and LSU. He also liked that everybody would be starting fresh with new coaches, and they wouldn’t already have opinions about who should play.”
It didn’t hurt that Jackson’s sister is already at UK, and Lexington is closer to home.
Larkey sees a path for Jackson - one that might not be instant stardom, but one that builds over time.
“I told him he could have a five-year plan,” Larkey said. “Redshirt the first year, then scout team as a redshirt freshman and sophomore, maybe get 10 plays on special teams.
As a junior, more special teams and 10 to 15 plays on offense or defense. By senior year, 20 to 30 plays a game.
Even if he doesn’t make the NFL, someone will hire him and pay him $100,000 to start off because he’s a UK player.”
Jackson gets it. He respects the long game. But he’s not aiming low.
“I’m an athlete. I want to start as a freshman,” he said.
“Anybody wants to do that. I want to go to the NFL in three years.
If I do what I’m supposed to do to get better every day, I know that’s possible.”
That’s not arrogance - it’s belief. And for a guy who’s had to fight for everything, belief might be his most dangerous asset.