Undersized, but undeterred. Quinton Jackson has made himself a key cog in a Rice Football rebirth that, like him, seeks to beat the odds.

True freshman Quinton Jackson caught everyone in the stands off guard when he outjumped a Southern Miss defensive back in the 2022 Lending Tree Bowl to haul in a 34-yard deep ball from quarterback AJ Padgett. It was hard to know what to make of the compact athlete, listed at running back, as he high-pointed the ball deep downfield.

Jackson was only on the trip because of a recently changed NCAA rule allowing for bowl game participation to be excluded from eligibility calculations. He certainly wasn’t expected to produce huge plays like that on an offense that had future NFL wideout Luke McCaffrey and fellow standout receiver Bradley Rozner lining up on most downs. Yet here he was soaring through the skies.

The reception was just the fourth touch of Jackson’s collegiate career. He was athletic — there was no doubt there — but did this slender speedster have the staying power to make it on an FBS roster?

Jackson hardly remembers the specifics of the catch. He describes the entire moment as being in slow motion. “I saw the ball in the air,” he recalls. “I caught it and blacked out. All I remember was jogging back to the huddle.”

If that was Jackson’s baptism into major college football, it was certainly a fitting one. A multi-sport athlete in high school, Jackson had his share of doubters when he set out to become a college running back. In his eyes, he’d starred at North Crowley High School and proven he could play against the best the state of Texas had to offer, but making that jump to the next level would not be easy.

The bowl game was the first contest Jackson had appeared in during that freshman season. He hadn’t traveled to a game before this one. That his big moment came through the air was another oddity, even for the athletic Jackson, who had rushed for 1,104 yards as a high school senior and passed for 1,641 yards, scoring 32 touchdowns. He wasn’t a receiver per se, but he was ready and willing to do anything for his team.

“Coming in, I was kind of nervous, my freshman year. Can I do this? Can I play at the D1 level at this size?” Jackson admitted. “My dad always said, just embrace it, go for it. You’ve always been a fighter your whole life.”

Jackson credits much of that determination to his parents, who have shown up to every game and provided for him every step of the way. In many ways, his dad serves as one of his chief motivators. Rudolph Jackson played college ball at Ranger Junior College before giving it up to join the fire department, eventually climbing the ranks to become the city of Fort Worth’s fire chief.

It should not be a surprise, then, that his son would take up his mantle, channeling a relentless work ethic on his path from a bowl-game add-on to Rice Football program fixture.

Earning His Role

The growth wouldn’t happen overnight, but Jackson would go on to carve out a niche for himself as the quintessential complementary player for the Owls alongside star running back Dean Connors. Jackson would carry the ball 55 times over the next two seasons, primarily making his mark on special teams.

His breakthrough moment in that phase came in the middle of the 2024 season with Rice trailing Connecticut in the fourth quarter. Jackson handled the kickoff, racing all the way back to the opposite endzone, setting a program record on the 100-yard kick return score.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren would be fired less than 24 hours after what was, at that time, Jackson’s career-defining moment. The sudden change thrust Jackson and the program into months of uncertainty. Connors would eventually transfer, potentially opening the door for a larger role for Jackson, but that eventual reality was far from certain at the time.

The administration brought in Scott Abell, who ran a completely different offense. Also arriving were two local high school backs in its most recent signing class, both of whom had more traditional body types for the position.

Jackson still had those big dreams, but he entered that first conversation with Abell determined to make it abundantly clear he was all in when it came to rebuilding Rice football.

“I told him I’m willing to do whatever, if it was handing out water or playing special teams,” Jackson said. “I just wanted to be a part of turning this program around, and we’re heading in the right direction.

The two hit it off quickly. Already in love with Rice, Jackson set out to prove to his new coach he could be part of Abell’s future plans.

Abell knew quickly that Jackson would be more than a water boy, but how he fit was still uncertain. “Watching film, I was like, okay, this guy is going to really help our program. He’s going to be dynamic in my offense,” Abell said. “I wasn’t sure where.”

Initially, Abell posited that Jackson could be a fit in the slot back role in his offense, which often is fed the ball in space, allowing the athletes there to make plays and utilize their athleticism. To play running back would require toughness and vision, something Jackson just hadn’t had enough time at the position to prove.

Those doubts were erased with the first few weeks of spring football. Abell was blown away by the way Jackson played the position, never once letting himself be limited by his stature.

“He’s got maybe the best feet I’ve ever seen,” Abell said. “And his balance is unreal. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything quite like that either.”

Arriving in Style

Jackson would go on to be named a team captain by his peers in the summer, and when the season finally arrived, he was ready.

He rushed a career-high 22 times for 119 yards in the Owls’ Week 1 upset victory over a Louisiana team that played for a conference championship the season prior, scoring the first touchdown of the Abell era and pacing the offense. The collective unit was far from perfect, but Jackson’s dogged determination and relentless effort got the team across the finish line with a massive season-opening win.

With his trademark smile plastered across his face in the aftermath of that huge win, Jackson looked as composed as ever. Nothing about his demeanor would have let on that he’d just authored his most monumental performanc

Jackson remained steady as the offense ebbed and flowed around him. Whether he had a big game or not, he confidently came to the defense of his teammates and eagerly discussed the development he was seeing behind the scenes.

That growth would manifest itself in more big days for Jackson. He rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown against Florida Atlantic, but the Owls came up short. He played sparingly in a loss to UTSA as he nursed an ankle injury. If he was less than 100 percent coming out of the subsequent bye week, it was impossible to notice as Jackson delivered an other-worldly performance in a victory over Connecticut.

Jackson rushed 21 times for 168 yards, caught three passes for 80 yards and scored the walk-off, game-winning touchdown in double overtime. On a macro level, the victory kept the Owls’ bowl hopes alive. On a personal level, it offered another proof to Jackson that he belonged on this stage.

“I’m just blessed on. God put me in this position for a reason,” Jackson said in the aftermath, physically exhausted from his marathon performance.

“It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, a lot of trust. My teammates trust me. I’m just thankful to be here. I love Rice. They gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. Coach Abell gave me another opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m just happy to be here.”

Jackson would be upstaged for conference player of the week honors, but the external accolades didn’t seem to matter much. He’d proven he could do this and he and his teammates were enjoying the moment.

Abell, who helped make the moment possible, came to his defense. “If there’s a young man across this country that plays with more heart and plays bigger and more explosive and harder than number 10 does in our program, I’d like to find him,” he said.

An Eye on the Future

Barring a program record-setting kind of finish against South Florida, Jackson will finish the season just shy of 1,000 rushing yards. No Rice running back has reached that plateau since Charles Ross in 2013. But Ross was listed at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds. The 2025 Rice Football roster lists Jackson at 5-foot-7, 160 pounds. It sure seems as if Jackson hasn’t let his size slow him down one bit.

Abell credits Jackson’s fearlessness, which has allowed him to come this far. “He takes some hits, but he delivers some. He plays full speed, and when you play the game full speed, you usually end up delivering more than you take,” Abell said. “He avoids them naturally because he’s gifted.”

That gifted runner has his eyes set on getting Rice football to just its third bowl appearance over its last 12 seasons, right in the middle of a program reboot he wasn’t expecting when after going to bowl games in each of his first two seasons on campus.

Whether or not the step back had proved frustrating, Jackson would never let on. Like every other challenge that has come his way to this point, it’s just another opportunity. Just like where his journey got started in high school.

More: The Winding Road — Jack Ben-Shoshan’s Path to the Top of the Rice Baseball Bullpen

North Crowley hadn’t been to the playoffs in two decades when Jackson arrived. Jackson led the back to the postseason. Last fall, the Panthers went 16-0, finishing off their legendary run with a state championship.

“The rebuild is fun to be a part of because you lay the foundation for what could be great next,” Jackson said.

Jackson has one year of eligibility remaining after this season. While a championship might not be in the cards this year, Jackson will get another crack at making that history in 2026. For now, it’s on to the next game. The future will take care of itself. And if it goes anything like the trajectory Jackson and Abell have known to this point, the better days are still to come.

As for Jackson, he’d never turn the spotlight towards himself. And while his story is far from over, he hopes his platform serves as hope to others who might have been passed over as they work toward their dreams.

“Anybody can do this. You just gotta believe in yourself,” Jackson said. “Once you believe in yourself, you can do anything in this world that’s possible when you put your mind to it.”

** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

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