Trayce Jackson-Davis was one of the first to call Indiana’s quarterback competition last week.
A simple Twitter post in the waning moments of his alma mater’s win over Indiana State sent a clear message: His brother Tayven Jackson should be IU’s QB1.
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— TJD (@TrayceJackson) September 9, 2023
A couple days later Jackson-Davis used that same phone to contact his brother after Indiana coach Tom Allen informed Tayven he was IU’s full-time starter.
Big brother didn’t say much, but he hit the mark.
“He said ‘good job young king, don’t look back,'” Tayven relayed earlier this week.
“My brother is not a very emotional guy, but I am towards him. Just getting that from him speaks louder than what he actually said.”
Now Tayven will attempt to do what his brother was doing in Bloomington just six months ago, by putting the entire weight of his team, coaches and fan base on his shoulders.
The pressure will be enormous if Tayven feels like he needs to live up to the standard set by Jackson-Davis. Because of all the success Jackson-Davis had playing basketball at IU, Tayven said he leaned more on his father, former Division I football player Ray Jackson, along with his sisters to help him navigate the ups and downs of the quarterback competition.
“I don’t know if I can say my brother had competition or adversity, because he did what he did (at IU),” Jackson said.
While Tayven had and still has a challenging path, Jackson-Davis said last month he believes his brother is up to the task.
“He has a tough job, but if anyone can do it, that kid right there can,” Jackson-Davis said. “He’s got all the confidence in the world.”
LUCAS OIL STADIUM FAMILIAR TO JACKSON
Jackson saw 76 snaps over the first two weeks of the season, so that might help quell any nerves he has about his first true college football start on Saturday against Louisville (Noon ET, BTN).
What may also help — Jackson has played at site of Saturday’s game on several occasions.
Jackson led Center Grove H.S. to three straight trips to the Indiana 6A state championship game played at Lucas Oil Stadium. He grew up just a half hour south of the venue.
“It’s very exciting, it’s a nice stadium,” Jackson said. “I think this is my fourth time playing in there. I think it’s nothing new, we’re going to go in there and just try to win a football game.”
He remembers a couple unique factors about playing in the massive NFL stadium.
“The turf is pretty hard, the lights are very bright,” Jackson said. “That’s a big factor for the receivers when the ball is up in the air, just knowing from past experience. The hashes are bigger. It’s a bigger stadium. Everything is blue. It’s good that I’ve played there.”
Jackson has experienced success in the building as well. He led Center Grove to back-to-back undefeated state championships that culminated at Lucas Oil, as they won 28-straight games between his junior and senior seasons.
Indiana’s full team also made the trip up to Indianapolis for a practice in August to help them acclimate.
“Anytime you go somewhere and it’s not your first time playing there, it helps you with your comfort level,” Allen said on Friday.
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