Evans sophomore DB Brandon Jacobs hopes to build on 2 offers
Evans High defensive back Brandon Jacobs has taken a backseat the past two seasons, watching how everything is done.
He had a good teacher in one of the best 2022 safeties in country in Markeith Williams, but his mentor will be off to play for Miami next season, and the leadership of the defensive backfield is left in the capable hands of Jacobs.
“He had a very huge impact. Everything I do is because of him. He always kept me motivated and always made sure I went 110% on every play,” Jacobs said. “With us two back there together [as safeties], it was motivation. I see what he’s doing, so that’s my goal. He’s already graduating, so I look up to this man.”
With most of the secondary graduating, it will be on Jacobs’ shoulders to take over the leadership.
“I’ve been ready for this since the first day of my freshman year,” Jacobs said. “I’ve always wanted to be a leader.”
Jacobs, a Class of 2024 safety, had one interception, five pass break-ups and about 60 tackles as a sophomore. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Jacobs will likely play safety in college, but he said he can also play cornerback and nickel.
He now has scholarship offers from Maryland and Indiana, the first of which came last summer from the Terrapins. The Hoosiers offered this past week.
“The first one ... I was very excited. I had just woke up and Coach [Evans’ Kenard Lang] called my phone and he said that I was going to be offered,” Jacobs said. “At that moment I knew everything was going to change. I felt like it was my time ... I had to go harder and everything I do from now on really counts. All it takes is one to get everything really started up.”
Despite his two offers being six months apart, Jacobs said he did not get frustrated during the time between.
“I was thinking, ‘It’s still my sophomore year,’ so all I can do right now is grind and even when no one is watching me, there are still eyes everywhere,” Jacobs said. “And then [Indiana] was very exciting because it had been such a long time. I felt blessed.”
His height stands out and he’s likely to get even taller with still two years of high school ahead. He’s also extremely athletic and fast, and he carries a 3.1 GPA. He’ll be running intermediate hurdles on the track team and qualified for AAU nationals last summer, running a time of 54 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles. He also ran a 51.8-second 400 in eighth grade,
He’s sees a loaded offer list in his future, and it’s only a matter of time.
“I just have to keep grinding and they’ll keep coming,” Jacobs said. “I want to see like Florida State, and Miami [offers] because of Markeith. Florida State has always been like my dream school.
“I knew all this was coming, but I didn’t know it would happen so fast.”
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Chris Hays covers high school football, college football recruiting and the Orlando Magic for the Sentinel. He can be reached at CHays@orlandosentinel.com.
