Frank Jackson to Duke: Blue Devils Land 5-Star PG Prospect

Credit: 247Sports

With many of the top players in the 2016 recruiting class beginning to narrow down their pools of prospective suitors, Duke got a big boost Tuesday when it secured the commitment of Frank Jackson, who confirmed the news to Evan Daniels of Scout.com.

"I'll be going to Duke next season," Jackson said. "When I went on my visit, it was pretty clear to me that it was the best spot for me, and I felt really comfortable with it. I made the decision to go there."

Jackson told Daniels the tradition of the program also played a big role in his decision.

"It's Duke basketball," he said. "The history behind the school is amazing. They've had so much success. They've been a powerhouse for so many years now."

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Jackson is the No. 4 point guard and the No. 13 overall player in his class. He's also the best player in the state of Utah.

In both the NBA and college basketball, point guards are now asked to be more than floor generals. Because of that, guys such as Rajon Rondo and Michael Carter-Williams are making way for the Damian Lillards and Kyrie Irvings of the world.

Jackson is cut from the same cloth as the latter two.

He had originally committed to BYU in 2013 but decommitted from the Cougars in November 2014.

"My whole decommitting thing—I thought, Why not open up my options, see what's out there?" Jackson said in January, per ABC 4 in Salt Lake City. "I'm not saying I'm not going to BYU, but I just want to see where I could go and where I could maybe play somewhere else."

With that news, countless schools tried to make their cases to the 5-star point guard. Jackson then exploded onto the national scene when he scored 54 points in a December 2014 victory for Lone Peak High School in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas.

ESPN's Fran Fraschilla watched Jackson play at the Adidas Eurocamp in June and walked away impressed.

Jackson can put on a show with his highlight-reel dunks. Benjamin Criddle of ESPN 960 in Provo, Utah, shared a Vine that showed off the youngster's incredible leaping ability.

Of course, one of Jackson's strengths is his ability to get to the rim. He's a good shooter too, so opposing defenders can't sag off him to prevent a drive to the hoop. And should they guard him too tightly on the perimeter, he's quick enough and strong enough to force his way inside.

Sometimes, Jackson can be too focused on his own scoring, but that shouldn't be much of a problem when he joins the collegiate ranks.

Jackson is bound to have an impact on the Blue Devils as soon as he arrives in Durham. When making a list of the top freshmen to watch in 2016-17, he'll warrant consideration.

Note: Recruit star rankings are courtesy of 247Sports.