Winning week for Iowa's Josh Jackson

IOWA CITY — Things are happening fast for Josh Jackson.

In the last week, the Iowa junior cornerback was named a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award (top defensive player in college football, and, yes, teammate Josey Jewell is also this list). ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper put Jackson on his Big Board. Pro Football Focus has him going in the first round in a mock draft (No. 24 to the Atlanta Falcons).

From the PFF post: 'Jackson's 14 pass breakups lead the nation and he's now gotten his hands on 23 passes on only 104 career targets. Jackson is a good fit for Atlanta's system and you can never have too many good cornerbacks in today's NFL.'

Bleacher Report named the Corinth, Texas, native one of the top three corners in the country. A good game for the Hawkeyes (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) this week against No. 3 Ohio State (7-1, 5-0) and quarterback J.T. Barrett and the NFL noise is only going to get louder, which is kind of what you're shooting for as a player.

Last week against Minnesota, Jackson broke up four passes, including a tipped ball that ended up going to safety Jake Gervase for an interception on Iowa's goal line, keeping points off the scoreboard in what would end up a 17-10 victory.

The Gophers targeted Jackson seven times. They completed just one pass for nine yards. Four of those targets were intended for UM's top receiver Tyler Johnson.

'Josh is kind of a nightmare matchup,' Gervase said. 'I was surprised when they kept throwing at him after the first half after he had a couple of pass breakups and some big plays on third downs. He's just one of those guys who comes in and gets after it. He's a huge asset for our defense.'

Jackson now leads the nation with 17 passes defended and 15 passes broken up. Just with those numbers in this season, here is the company Jackson is keeping: That's the most passes broken up for an Iowa defensive back since B.J. Lowery had 16 in 2013. That's the most in the Ferentz era. Jackson has four games to catch this. When he won the Thorpe Award in 2015, Desmond King had 13 passes broken up. Micah Hyde had 14 in 2012. Bradley Fletcher had 10 in 2008.

Jackson isn't Desmond King. He's taller, for sure, and maybe faster. The results have been about the same.

'I wouldn't say the same guy (comparing King and Jackson), everyone has different traits,' Gervase said. 'Those are both guys who can shut down a third of the field every time they're out there. He's a tough guy, he's a competitor and he's a freak athlete who goes out there and just makes plays.'

It's pretty good to be Josh Jackson right now. What does he think about the NFL stuff?

'I really haven't been paying attention to that stuff,' Jackson said. 'I'm just trying to focus on the season. It's not really something I'm focused on.'

How about the Bednarik semifinalist list?

'I haven't been paying much attention to it,' Jackson said. 'The team is more important right now. I'm just trying to stay focused on that.'

So much NFL talk on Jackson. Yeah, it's way early for a mock draft, grain of salt and all of that. If nothing else, it shows Jackson is running the right direction.

'The biggest thing with him, and I said this back in August, I thought he seemed to be one of our more improved players on our football team,' Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. 'Just watching him go through that out-of-season program, had a good spring last year, and Josh has always been a talented guy; but that maturation process players have to go through ...

'He's a couple years into the right program now. I think he knows his position a little bit better — the expectations of what we're looking for — and he's done a great job of playing defensive football for us.'

Ferentz said he thought Jackson picked things up in 2015, when he saw some playing time as a nickel corner.

So, maybe a low point was last fall. With seniors King and Greg Mabin — four- and three-year starters, respectively — on the field, it felt like Jackson would assume the nickel role, which turned out to be a significant amount of playing time in 2016.

But then Manny Rugamba arrived and won the nickel spot.

Jackson didn't freak out and his time eventually came. Mabin suffered a broken ankle. Rugamba was bumped into the starter's role. Jackson became the nickel. When Rugamba broke his collarbone against Nebraska, Jackson got the start in the Outback Bowl.

And that ball hasn't stopped rolling.

'Coaches make the decisions, you do what's best for the team,' said Jackson, who had a total of six pass breakups going into this season. 'Whenever you're called upon, you have to be ready to come in and play.'

At one point as a freshman, Jackson went through spring drills as a wide receiver. In retrospect, that looks weird, but it happened. The big highlight? He dropped what would've been a long TD pass in the spring game. It was back to defensive back not long after that.

This has seemed to work itself out quite nicely.

'The coaches wanted me to come in and play defense,' Jackson said. 'They ran short on receivers, so I switched. It was a good experience.'

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He said that with a bit of a laugh. Maybe that's it, maybe that one spring as a wide receiver gave Jackson all of the secrets.

It's not that. It's more his 6-1, 192-pound frame and the 40-yard dash that's probably somewhere near the 4.5s.

'I've always wanted to play defense and be a starter,' said Jackson, who also leads the Hawkeyes with two interceptions and is fifth on the team with three tackles. 'You can't really just prepare when you think you have an opportunity. I've been preparing since I got here as a freshman, really just trying to get better. My opportunity came this spring and I really just tried to lay it all out there, so I could earn a spot and just pursue and grow and become the best player I can be.'

On media day, Jackson was asked if it's time for him to punch in and be Desmond-like.

'It's a great opportunity,' Jackson said. 'Just come in, play my best and help the team out.'

Jackson makes it sound so simple and has made it look so smooth.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com