Senior Antione Jackson fuels UCF's Big 12 championship bid with leadership and a sharpened focus on game-changing takeaways.
Antione Jackson has one goal in mind heading into next season: helping the UCF Knights win the Big 12 conference.
The 6-foot-1 defensive back is entering his senior year and third campaign as a Knight. He started all 12 games for coach Scott Frost last season, becoming a consistent pillar of UCF's top pass defense.
He set career highs across the season, finishing with 39 tackles (27 solo), notched eight tackles in the Knights' loss to Kansas State in their conference opener and had five passes defended throughout the year, including one in three consecutive weeks.
Jackson said it means everything to return for his third season at UCF and is strengthening the brotherhood in a defensive back room full of returners.
"I want to do whatever I can to help the team be as close as possible," Jackson said. "Build a brotherhood and want to have a winning season, man."
The Knights finished last season 5-7, missing out on bowl game contention. Frost is motivated for a bounce-back season and said he wants to have the best offseason in the Big 12.
One move that has led UCF closer to that goal is the hiring of David Overstreet II as the new defensive backs coach. He's brought eight years of NFL coaching experience to college, and Jackson is taking advantage of the opportunity to pick his brain.
"I ask him about the guys he coached, like their routine," Jackson said. "What they're doing on a daily basis. What do you think I can do better on a daily basis?"
One area of Jackson's game that could see improvement under Overstreet II is picking off opposing quarterbacks. He has two career interceptions, and recorded none last year.
Overstreet II has coached cornerbacks like Jaylon Johnson, who have finished near the top of the NFL in interceptions, and he's carrying that same mentality over to UCF.
"His resume speaks for itself," Jackson said. "All the corners he coached, he coached corners with the most picks in the league, with all-pro corners because of the takeaways. So, he's very big on takeaways."
As Jackson enters his final season at UCF, he wants to leave a legacy behind as a contributor.
"My goal is to be the best player I can be to help the team win," Jackson said. "And my goal for the team is to win this year. We want to win the Big 12."
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