A monster MAC commit

Whoever said father knows best got it wrong. When it comes to recruiting time after time it is mother knows best. And when it came time to decide the final fate of his future, Columbus (Ohio) Brookhaven three-star offensive center Mark Jackson leaned on his mother for advice and the talk caused him to reverse an earlier decision that had him heading to Marshall.

"I got to talking to my mother, and she thought the best thing for me to do would be to go to Akron," Jackson, who is 6-foot-6 and 301 pounds, said.

"She thought it would be a better fit for me, and it would give me a better education. It's a better fit and it's a lot closer to home.

"My entire family could come see me play every weekend. The more I thought about it, the more I agreed with her. So I called Akron on Saturday and told them I was heading there."

Jackson, the nation's No. 7 center, becomes the highest ranked offensive lineman to pledge to a MAC school. His decision came just a day after he told the Marshall coaches he was coming to them.

"They weren't too happy," Jackson said. "They tried to talk me out of it. But I told them I had to do what's best for me and my future. Everybody I talked to agreed that Akron was the best place."

Jackson was recruited by Zip assistant Brian Callahan.

"He was pretty excited," Jackson said. "He's a cool guy. Coach Callahan had been recruiting me ever since I was a sophomore. He said I couldn't commit to him unless I was 100 percent sure and that I was done.

"I told him I am. My mom sealed the deal for me. I'm going to Akron."

Jackson's pledge might give Akron enough of a boost to cement its spot on top of the MAC recruiting rankings.