WATCH: Bronny James’ former teammate Jahzare Jackson shows off electrifying football skills during FSU elite camp
Bronny James' former high school teammate Jahzare Jackson showed up at the FSU football elite camp on Sunday. Jackson, who lined up for Overtime Elite basketball, also played football starting in the third grade, initially as a running back.
Football scout Basheer Umar Pemberton shared a few clips on X/Twitter from the Seminoles' camp, where Jackson can be seen involved in rigorous training.
"Jahzare Jackson, the big 6’9-6’10 325 lbs big man who played with Bronny James in high school was at FSU Football elite camp over the weekend," Pemberton wrote. "You can see the potential at T with this kid. He did enter the 2024 NBA draft. His agent is doing right by him by having him try [football]."
Jackson quickly drew attention from observers at FSU's elite camp. Some were amazed by his height as they watched him during warm-ups. At first, he was not doing any good, but as the day went by, Jackson improved his skills. By the end, Jackson consistently blocked skilled defenders in one-on-one drills.
"Felt good, felt like I looked good out there," Jackson said.
Jackson, who primarily played basketball, declared to enter the 2024 NBA draft in April. However, he is now considering a comeback to football.
"Football was my first sport," Jackson said, "I never fell out of love with football, I always had a passion, it's just that basketball took over so I wanted to open that back up and get back into it."
At OTE, the San Diego native played for three seasons. In 2023-24, Jackson averaged 10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.
Bronny James and Jahzare Jackson played for North Coast Blue Chips
NBA icon LeBron James' son, Bronny James, played alongside Overtime Elite center Jahzare Jackson during high school. The duo shared the court for the North Coast Blue Chips on the AAU circuit.
While many believed Jackson would follow Bronny James into college basketball, he opted to take LeBron's advice and joined Overtime Elite instead. He won three championships with OTE, being the pivotal player for the team.
"I felt like I've grown a lot as a leader being here for three years. And kind of just understanding what it takes and what you will be put through,” Jackson told Draft Digest.
Jahzare Jackson faces an important choice ahead as he continues his athletic journey. He needs to decide which sports to focus on moving forward. While he entered the NBA draft, the chances of him being picked are low. Additionally, if he is willing to switch to football, he would have to put in more effort and be serious about it.