LSU's Donte Jackson's versatility drawing comparisons to Tyrann Mathieu

LSU's Donte Jackson is listed as a cornerback on the team's roster. But he has been much more than that this season. In fact, he has a new name for his position.

"They have this position called corner, a position called nickel and a position called safety -- free safety and strong safety. Me, I'm a Swiss Army knife. That's my position," Jackson said.

After watching Jackson roam all over the field and make plays for the Tigers in Saturday's 33-10 win over Arkansas, safety John Battle had a lofty comparison for him.

"Donte is a playmaker, Tyrann Mathieu-type," Battle said. "You can move him all over the field. He can play safety, put him down at nickel -- even put him back at corner where he's most electrifying at.

"Just give him more room for him to make play. Coach (Dave) Aranda trusts him. He's our playmaker back there in the secondary. We just got let him go. Gotta let him off the leash."

Jackson said Aranda, LSU's defensive coordinator, came up with the shift before the Alabama game.

"Coach Aranda came at me with it and moved me inside," Jackson said. "Yeah, that was cool. A lot of great corners get to move inside, but not a lot of guys get to move to safety. Just taking that on and making sure I learned everything.

"I'm one of the guys that sits in the meeting room, and I know what the defensive line guys are doing. I know what the linebackers are doing. I know every position in the secondary. It's showing versatility, and I like the move."

Jackson started at free safety for the second consecutive game and played cornerback, nickel and safety against the Razorbacks.

The junior finished with seven tackles, two pass breakups and two tackles for a loss, including LSU's only sack (the first of his career) against the Razorbacks.

Defensive tackle Greg Gilmore said he predicted Jackson's sack the night before.

"I actually told him, we have a play where he comes off the edge," Gilmore said. "It's me and him and Arden (Key) in the middle of us. Arden goes around and I told him I'm going to hold the tackle so that he could get a free rush. I told him the first first down, it was going to be that call and he was going to get the sack. It went just like we dreamed it up last night."

The play actually happened on Arkansas' second third down. Key was at defensive end and looped around Gilmore and was double-teamed. Gilmore engaged the tackle, and Jackson blitzed from his nickel spot for the sack.

"When we actually ran it," Jackson said, "and they doubled him and I came off the edge I was just like 'Bingo' and it was just how I dreamed it."

Linebacker Devin White said the team had been working on that blitz all week in practice, and he was happy to see Jackson get the sack.

"After the Bama game, he told Coach 'Can you get me going because nobody wants to throw at me,'" White said. "I guess Coach put a special rush in. They didn't pick it up well, and he got him a sack. I'm proud of him because he'd been executing that play in practice all week. He's so fast, you can't block him. That's on Coach Aranda for putting in a good play."

Jackson moved around at times after starting for Grant Delpit but saw action at cornerback with Battle and Delpit in the game when LSU went to its nickel look. He also played safety alongside Battle and sometimes with just Delpit.

Cornerback Greedy Williams said Jackson has had zero complaints about his position change.

"He's getting it," Williams said. "Playing three positions, that's hard. You have to know a lot of stuff. It's just one of those guys that can play anywhere on the field."

It might be a difficult transition for some players, but not for Jackson, Gilmore said.

"Nothing. That's nothing to him," Gilmore said. "He does his work in the film room, and it comes second nature to him on the field. Even when he was playing corner, he knew the safety's job. That role change, it's natural for him."

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