Standing 6-foot-4 with elite track speed, Colorado standout Jackson Coleman chose Notre Dame over Oregon. Discover how his massive catch radius and vertical playmaking fit Mike Denbrock’s offense.
Notre Dame picked up a talented and underrated wide receiver when Jackson Coleman committed to the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame beat Oregon to land this talented pass catcher.
Let's take a look at the commitment profile for Coleman.
JACKSON COLEMAN PROFILE
Hometown/High School: Highlands Ranch, Colo./Valor Christian
Height/Weight: 6-4, 195
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)
2025 Stats: 45 catches, 975 yards, 21.7 YPC, 9 TD
Player Comp: Jeff Samardzija, Notre Dame
Recruited By: Mike Brown, Mike Denbrock
Offers: Notre Dame, Oregon, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Auburn, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Kansas State, Duke, Purdue, California, Minnesota, Iowa State, Colorado, Washington State, Oregon State, Syracuse
RECRUITING RANKINGS
247Sports: 3-star - No. 106 WR
On3/Rivals: 3-star - No. 113 WR
247Sports Composite: 3-star - No. 822 overall - No. 102 WR
On3/Rivals Consensus: 3-star - No. 886 overall - No. 125 WR
NOTRE DAME FIT
Notre Dame runs a pro style, vertically based pass game that Coleman fits nicely into. He projects as more of a boundary receiver for the Irish, but his route running skills, speed and ball skills could also thrive at the field X position. Coleman has the length, pass catching ability and ball tracking traits that fit quite well into the Mike Denbrock pass offense. In the boundary, the W receiver works vertically a great deal, running Go routes, Post routes, Dig routes and deep Stop and Comeback routes as well. The boundary does his best work up to and at the catch points. All of this fits Coleman's game quite well. Notre Dame also wants to continue adding more speed to its receiving stable, and that is the top trait you see on film with Coleman.
FILM ANALYSIS
Notre Dame wants to add more size to its receiving corps and Coleman gives them that. He's listed between 6-3 1/2 and 6-4, and he looks every bit of that. He has very long arms, and that combination of height and length gives him an outstanding catch radius. He's a bit thin at the moment, but Coleman has an impressive frame that should allow him to add a good amount of weight. Adding more play strength will be a key for him at the next level. He doesn't lack toughness by any stretch, but improving his top to bottom play strength will help his game out quite a bit.
Coleman also adds a lot of speed to the Notre Dame depth chart at wide receiver. He ran a personal best 10.67 in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore, which projects to running a 40-yard dash in the 4.4 range. You see that speed on film, and that's the key. Coleman is a big play waiting to happen for Valor, averaging 21.7 yards per catch as a junior. He comes off the line with good pace, and his ability to turn on a second gear coming out of breaks, or to accelerate past a defensive back are quite impressive. Coleman makes a lot of plays over top of defenses, but he also shows off that speed with the ball in his hands. He's also a strong all-around athlete, possessing good agility and quickness for his size, he has some wiggle after the catch and he's a very good leaper, which he uses to win contested catches with some regularity.
The Valor Christian standout has impressive all-around ball skills. He tracks the deep ball extremely well, which allows him to adjust his body to the ball, position himself properly to shield defenders and also allows him to make a lot of tough downfield catches. He also does a good job of accelerating when he looks back for the ball instead of slowing down, which a lot of young receivers will do. Coleman uses his length and leaping ability to win a lot of contested catches, and he's a hands catcher in the quick game, which I like. As he gets physically stronger this part of his game will become even more impactful, as will his ability to make plays after the catch.
Coleman shows a very good understanding of how to win as a route runner. He attacks leverage, he'll manipulate defenders with stem and he does a good job working into open areas when facing zone looks. Coleman also shows a nice assortment of release moves, although using his hands better will make him more effective against better, more physical corners. Coleman also shows a willingness to make tough catches over the middle, which is important as a boundary receiver at Notre Dame. I want to see him be sharper with his cuts and not level off when breaking inside. He also tends to be a bit choppy at times when he doesn't sink his hips. It's just about consistency with his game, and when he finds that he'll develop into a highly effective route runner. His release speed is also inconsistent at times, something else that can be improved with work and refinement.
———————
Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!