USC's Rising Star Adoree' Jackson Will Contend for 2015 Heisman

Do-everything USC freshman Adoree' Jackson just dove headfirst into the 2015 Heisman Trophy conversation—literally. 

Early in the first quarter of the Trojans' 45-42 Holiday Bowl win over Nebraska on Saturday, Jackson took a kickoff from his own two-yard line. Finding a seam in the Cornhuskers' coverage, he burst through and hit the gear that made him a 10.68-second 100-meter sprinter in high school.

Not only was Jackson's return longer than any in the bowl's 36-year history, it was also the first to end with a well-executed front flip into the end zone.

"My dad called me before the game and he told me do something for him...because he wasn't able to make the game," Jackson said. 

The officials played Soviet judge to Jackson's impromptu gymnastics exhibition, flagging him for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"Do I condone it? No," head coach Steve Sarkisian said of the celebration, which cost USC 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff.

However, Sarkisian added: "We only get to do this 13, 14 times a year so when we get our chances we better have fun doing it."

Jackson may not demonstrate his exuberance through an aerial display again, but it won't be the last time we see the rising star reach the end zone, either. 

In 2015, a more appropriate celebration might be an homage to Desmond Howard's Heisman pose when the Michigan star won the trophy in 1991. 

The kickoff return was the first of two proverbial Heisman moments for Jackson on Saturday, albeit a year early. 

The 71-yard touchdown reception was Jackson's third of the season, fourth-most among all Trojans. Not bad for a full-time cornerback moonlighting on offense. 

This particular grab was arguably his most impressive yet, as Jackson lined up in the backfield and took a short screen from quarterback Cody Kessler, then exploded past the Nebraska defense to reach paydirt. 

"It was reminiscent of another guy I've seen wearing our uniform before," Sarkisian said of Jackson's Holiday Bowl performance, without naming names. 

Not that he needs to: Comparisons to 2005 Heisman winner Reggie Bush surfaced before Jackson ever played a down in cardinal and gold, insofar as Jackson was even rumored to seek out Bush's No. 5 before the season, as the Los Angeles Daily News' Scott Wolf wrote in February. 

Jackson's freshman campaign validated the comparisons. His explosiveness as both a returner and offensive weapon bore similarities to Bush, right down to the end-zone flip. 

And building off the finish to his freshman season, Jackson could emulate Bush in another way as a sophomore. 

Bush was the last of USC's seven alumni to win college football's most prestigious individual honor, asterisk notwithstanding. He's also the last Heisman recipient to have contributed extensively in a phase other than offense, excelling in special teams as much as he did at running back. 

As easy as it is to draw comparisons between Bush and Jackson, however, there's a more fitting Heisman case study, as Sarkisian alluded to on his conference call Sunday night. 

"Charles Woodson, what he was able to do for Michigan, was tremendous," Sarkisian said. 

Woodson is the only defensive player ever to win the award, though that distinction is somewhat misleading. His highlight-reel moments on special teams and offense attracted the necessary voter attention to spotlight his play at cornerback. 

Likewise, Jackson won't contend for the Heisman with his work on defense alone, outstanding as it may be.

And it was outstanding. Jackson became USC's lockdown cornerback almost immediately in 2014, proving himself too invaluable to transition to wide receiver full-time. 

Making the most of his opportunities in special teams and on offense, as he did in the Holiday Bowl, is how Jackson can be the next Woodson. 

A side-by-side comparison of Jackson's statistical output in 2014 to Woodson's Heisman-winning campaign shows that the USC freshman doesn't have far to go.

Player	Games	Tackles	INT	PBU	Rec./Yards	Rec. TD	Returns	Ret. TD
Adoree' Jackson	13	49	-	9	10/138	3	23 (KR)	2
Charles Woodson	12	44	8	9	12/238	2	33 (PR)	1

One key metric in which Woodson had a distinct advantage over Jackson's 2014, however, is team wins. Michigan went undefeated in 1997 en route to a share of the national championship. 

Talk of USC pursuing the 2015 title began in earnest Saturday night.

"We're going to compete for championships. That's why you come to USC," Sarkisian said. "Get ready for 2015." 

And get ready for Jackson to chase both a championship and a Heisman—with or without acrobatics. 

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise cited. Statistics courtesy of CFBstats.com.