Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is a defensive end and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his entire collegiate career with the Ohio State Buckeyes. A native of Hollywood, Florida, Jackson attended Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School, where he was named Florida's Gatorade Player of the Year, was selected as an Under Armour All-American, and earned recognition as a Broward County Super 11 selection by the Sun-Sentinel. He was rated a four-star recruit in the 2022 class, ranked the No. 68 overall player and the No. 8 defensive end nationally by 247Sports, choosing Ohio State over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, and Penn State. He enrolled early in Columbus and chose to wear jersey No. 97, previously worn by Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa, and Cameron Heyward. Jackson spent his first three collegiate seasons developing behind future NFL draft picks Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, recording a combined 25 tackles, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks across those developmental years. His patience paid off in 2025, when he stepped into the starting lineup and posted 27 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors while helping anchor a Buckeyes defense that was among the best in the country during their national championship season. He also comes from a family with NFL ties, as his grandfather and two uncles played professionally.
Standing 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Jackson is known for the prototypical length and athletic profile NFL evaluators covet at defensive end, physical run-defense instincts developed under Ohio State's renowned defensive line program, heavy hands that displace blockers at the point of attack, and the awareness to maintain gap integrity in complex defensive schemes. His pass-rush repertoire is still developing after years of limited snaps, but his combination of elite measurables, upside from a single year as a full-time starter, and the technical foundation built through Larry Johnson's coaching program project him as a developmental defensive end with legitimate Day 2 value and the potential to become a featured pass rusher at the next level with continued refinement of his hand usage and counter moves.
