The spring season for Penn State football is wrapping up, and head coach Matt Campbell has been pleased with his Nittany Lions throughout the process for various reasons. On Tuesday, he spoke about a young wide receiver who has stood out throughout the spring.
Penn State stands out in 4-star safety's Top 5 following spring visit
"I don't know if there's a true freshman that's had a bigger spring than what he has," Campbell said to media of wide receiver Amarion Jackson. "[Jackson] came from a great high school football program and obviously was committed to us at Iowa State [and] as the transition happened, you just felt like he was a really dynamic athlete."
Jackson committed as a wide receiver. While not dismissing his talents on offense, Campbell believed he could succeed as a safety as well. So, the freshman transitioned to defense at first. With injuries and availability hindering depth on Penn State's spring roster, Jackson had an opportunity to go back to wide receiver.
After observing him through the first six practice, safety was no longer an option.
Matt Campbell says Penn State freshman wideout Amarion Jackson has impressed during Spring camp and could be in line to play right away. pic.twitter.com/b8Vmq8McMe
— Zach Seyko (@zach_seyko) April 21, 2026
Matt Campbell says wide receiver Amarion Jackson is a true freshmn who can "push to play" in year one
"He's a guy that's certainly on track right now that'll push to play as a true freshman," Campbell said. "He's been impressive. Just how he's approached it and his mannerisms and he knows what to do. He plays really fast for a young football player and plays really confident."
In his final high school season, Jackson made 50 catches for 778 yards and seven touchdowns. This helped his squad win its second consecutive state championship after doing so in 2024. That season, he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards.
Jackson joined the recruitment Class of 2026 as a consensus three-star, one Campbell felt so strongly about, he encouraged the wideout following him to Happy Valley from Ames.
Campbell said he's excited to watch Jackson continue his offseason growth before the start of the 2026 season, assessing where he is in terms of development and readiness to hit the NCAA field.
"He's had a great spring so far, for sure," Campbell concluded.
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