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Buffalo Bulls quarterback Tyree Jackson declared for the NFL Draft on Sunday morning, according to his Instagram post.
This news comes after it was previously reported that Jackson entered the NCAA transfer portal to explore his future options. According to the Associated Press, Jackson evaluated several options, including staying at Buffalo, before declaring for the NFL Draft.
In a standout junior season, Jackson led Buffalo to 10 wins for the first time in program history. The 6’7”, 245-pound quarterback took home MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors and landed on the conference’s First Team in an accolade-earning year. He shattered his previous season-highs with 3,131 yards passing, 28 passing touchdowns, and seven rushing touchdowns in 2018.
Jackson was a three-year starter under head coach Lance Leipold. However, 2018 was the first year of his college career where he remained completely healthy, starting all 14 games.
When he first took snaps at Buffalo, Jackson was more of a dual-threat quarterback. In the 14 games before his midseason sophomore knee injury, the Norton Shores, Michigan, native rushed for 626 yards on 139 attempts. Following the injury, Jackson focused on remaining in the pocket and elevated his passing game. Although he only rushed 62 times for 131 yards (many of which were sacks) in his final 18 college games, the strides he made as a passer were noticeable.
Jackson targeted the deep ball more than nearly any quarterback in the country. With a formidable wide receiver duo of Anthony Johnson, who will certainly be drafted this spring, and K.J. Osborn, Buffalo ranked in the FBS’s top 20 for average yards per completion.
Jackson finished his Buffalo career with 6,999 passing yards to rank third in school history. His next step in his football career involves impressing scouts at pro day and the NFL Draft Combine, if invited. Teams searching for a quarterback in the draft (April 25-27) will definitely study Jackson for his magnificent size and his deep-throwing cannon arm that he mastered at Buffalo.