Alabama football players who exceeded 3 star ranking: 4. Kareem Jackson
- Macon GA
- Defensive Back (2007-2009)
- 2006 Recruit Ranking: Not Rated
- 2007 Recruit Ranking: No. 18 in the Nation*
- 2007 Freshman All-American
* the discrepancy in recruit rankings between 2006 and 2007 is explained below.
At Macon, GA Westlake High School, Kareem Jackson was primarily a running back. He put up good high school numbers but not enough to earn a high recruiting profile. The Scout recruiting network projected Jackson “as a running back or wide receiver at the next level.”
After high school, Kareem spent a year at Fork Union Military Academy where he was converted to a cornerback. The position change elevated Kareem to a 3-Star recruit as measured by the 247sports composite rankings.
He was an early enrollee for Nick Saban in 2007 and started 12 games his true freshman season. Jackson made the Freshman All-American team in 2007.
Jackson continued to learn the cornerback position during his sophomore and junior seasons for Alabama football. In the 2009 national championship season, Kareem was one of the main players on one of the Tide’s all-time best defenses.
Foregoing his senior season, Jackson was selected by the Houston Texans as the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.