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As Quince Orchard prepares for another championship run, rising senior defensive back Rico Jackson is spending an unusually busy offseason sharpening his game alongside familiar Maryland faces and NFL veterans. His recent workouts at the University of Maryland and a May commitment to Indiana have put him on a fast track entering the 2026 high school season.
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Jackson has been training at Maryland’s campus with established NFL receivers Stefon Diggs and Jordan Addison — both products of the state’s high school ranks. Their presence offers Jackson position-specific work and the kind of daily competition that can accelerate development before his final prep season.
The value of those sessions goes beyond technique: Diggs and Addison bring first-hand experience of recruiting pressures and pro-level routines that are rare for a high school athlete to access locally.
Recruiting landscape and the Indiana decision
Despite interest from several Power Five programs, Jackson formally pledged to Indiana during an official visit in May. He used social media to thank coaches and supporters and described the commitment as a meaningful next step.
Joining Indiana ties him to a program that just completed a breakthrough 16–0 campaign under coach Curt Cignetti, capped by a Big Ten title and a national championship appearance — a context that reshapes expectations for incoming recruits.
- Recruiting interest: Maryland, North Carolina, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse (among others)
- Committed to: Indiana University (official visit in May)
- Local NFL connections: Stefon Diggs and Jordan Addison — recent training partners
- High school team: Quince Orchard — defending state champions, 14–0 last season
Legacy and local roots
Rico is the son of former NFL safety Tanard Jackson, who starred at The Bullis School in Maryland before being drafted in 2007. Tanard’s pro career included stops in Tampa Bay and Washington, and he’s often mentioned by coaches and teammates as a valuable mentor for younger players.
Tanard credits his high school coaches for instilling discipline and structure that prepared him for college at Syracuse. Those lessons are now part of Rico’s development, both on the field and in the locker room.
At Bullis, Tanard put up standout numbers as a two-way player — including more than 1,100 rushing yards in his senior season and a school-record interception total by the time he graduated — achievements that give Rico a tangible model to measure himself against.
What it means for Quince Orchard’s 2026 push
Quince Orchard returns a roster that went 14–0 and captured back-to-back state crowns. As a three-star recruit, Jackson is expected to be a defensive cornerstone alongside peers such as Pittsburgh commit Jaheim Bond and standout Ryan Drakeford.
The immediate impact: opposing offenses will need to account for a secondary coached and practiced with pro-level input, while Indiana picks up a versatile defensive prospect who arrives within a program fresh off historic success.
For Jackson, the coming year is both an opportunity to refine his on-field strengths and to reinforce a family legacy — balancing expectations tied to his surname with the day-to-day work that earns playing time at the next level.
