2018 Football Roster
Jackson Dillon
- Position:
- LB
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-6 / 265
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Ringling, Okla.
- Prev School:
- Ringling HS
Career
Graduated in May 2017 with a degree in organizational leadership ... Working on a second bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies … Returning to action in 2018 after sitting out most of the 2016 and 2017 campaigns as a result of injuries … Three-year starter (2013-15) at the Dawg position, a hybrid position in Memphis’ defensive scheme … Has played in all 39 games of his career, starting 31 … Has registered 109 total tackles (77-32), 20.5 TFL (78 yards) and 4.5 sacks (34 yards) … Also credited with three PBU, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks ... Has 27 multi-tackle contests.
Honors (Academic/Athletic)
Earned Tiger 3.0 Club recognition for the 2016 spring semester ... Named to NFL.com’s 2014-15 All-Bowl Team for performance in Miami Beach Bowl (55-48 double-overtime win over BYU) … Had a career-high 11 tackles, including two sacks and three TFL, vs. BYU.
2017 (Fifth Year)
Played in one game … Played in the season opener vs. Louisiana Monroe … Logged two solo stops vs. the Warhawks … Following that game, had shoulder surgery and was out for the remainder of the season.
2016 (Senior)
Saw action in one game … Played nine snaps in the season opener vs. Southeast Missouri … Sat out the rest of the season as a result of knee injuries … Following the season, received a medical hardship waiver to play a fifth year in 2017.
2015 (Junior)
Played in all 13 games and made 11 starts ... Squad’s 10th-leading tackler with 37 total hits (24 solo/13 assists) ... His 24 solo stops were 12th on the squad ... Registered 6.0 TFL (15 yards), two fumble recoveries, one QB hurry and one blocked kick ... Had 10 multi-tackle performances, including six straight to begin the campaign ... Started the first 11 games of the season ... Had two solo stops in the season-opening victory over Missouri State ... Posted season highs for total tackles (8), unassisted stops (6) and assists (2) in the road win at Kansas ... Led squad in total tackles and solo stops vs. the Jayhawks ... Had one TFL vs. Kansas ... Followed Kansas game with multi-tackle games vs. Bowling Green (4 hits), Cincinnati (3), USF (2) and Ole Miss (3) ... Also had a TFL for six yards vs. the Rebels ... His TFL yardage was a season high ... Contributed on consecutive plays on Ole Miss’ early second-quarter drive that kept Memphis within striking distance ... With the Rebels leading 14-7 and driving to the Tigers 10-yard line, stonewalled the Rebels runner for no gain on a 3rd-and-1 ... The following play, threw the Ole Miss rusher for a loss of six yards, ending the Rebels’ scoring threat ... Had three total stops, including a season-high 2.5 TFL for six yards (tied TFL yardage season best), in a home win over Tulane ... Recorded his second career blocked kick when he swatted the Green Wave’s PAT attempt following their first TD ... Had four total stops (3-1) in a home setback to Navy ... Scored first collegiate TD on a one-yard fumble recovery for a score in the regular-season home finale over SMU ... Fumble recovery TD came late in the third quarter when the SMU rusher lost the ball at the Mustangs 3-yard line ... Scooped up the loose ball at the SMU 1 and crossed the goal line for the TD ... Also had two total tackles vs. the Mustangs (1-1) ... Posted four total tackles (1-3) vs. Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl ... Had 1.5 TFL for two yards vs. the Tigers.
2014 (Sophomore)
Saw action in all 13 games ... Made 12 starts ... Squad’s fifth-leading tackler with 43 total hits ... Also tied for fifth on the team with 33 solo stops ... Had 10 assisted hits (fourth on team) ... Third on squad with 9.0 TFL (50 yards) and tied for third on team with 3.5 sacks (27 yards) ... Also had two forced fumbles, one PBU and one blocked kick ... Posted 10 multi-tackle games ... Member of the Tigers defensive unit which ranked 11th nationally in scoring defense (19.5 ppg) … Memphis also ranked nationally in pass efficiency defense (8th; 106.31), rushing defense (19th; 121.5 ypg) and red zone defense (3rd; .688) ... Helped lead Memphis to the American Athletic Conference crown, the program’s first league title since 1971 ... The Tigers also won the Miami Beach Bowl title with a thrilling 55-48 double-overtime win over BYU … Recorded five solo stops in a narrow road setback at UCLA … First tackle against the Bruins was on a pass play in which he dropped the receiver for a three-yard loss and forced a punt to end UCLA’s first offensive series … Also had a third-quarter sack among his two TFL against the Bruins … Had three tackles in a win over Middle Tennessee … At Ole Miss, had five total tackles, including a TFL for four yards ... Registered three total tackles, including two TFL (7 yards) and 0.5 sacks, in a home setback to Houston … Three of four solo stops at Tulane came on one Green Wave possession that ended in a missed FG … Had two unassisted tackles, including one TFL for 10 yards, in a home win over USF ... His 10-yard TFL came late in the third quarter vs. USF with the Tigers leading 28-13 and the Bulls in the red zone ... His TFL stopped USF’s runner in the backfield and also forced a fumble that was recovered by Donald Pennington … Memphis turned that USF miscue into a FG that put the game out of reach ... Had three solo tackles in the 41-10 win over Connecticut that clinched the American Athletic Conference championship … Had a career performance in the Miami Beach Bowl victory over BYU … Led the Tigers with 11 total tackles (8-3), including three TFL (24 yards) and two sacks (22 yards) … Established career highs for total tackles (11), solo hits (8), TFL (3), TFL yardage (24) and sack yardage (22) ... In the bowl game, stopped BYU’s running back on the third play from scrimmage and forced a fumble that was recovered by Andrew Gaines … Memphis quickly turned the Cougars’ miscue into points, needing only three plays to score a TD and take a 7-0 lead … With the game tied at 14-all, had a sack for an 11-yard loss to force a punt that led to another Memphis first-quarter scoring drive.
2013 (Freshman)
Played in 12 game — eight as a starter — at the Dawg linebacker position … Registered 29 total tackles (20 solo/9 assists), 5.5 TFL (13 yards) and one sack (7 yards) ... Also had two pass breakups and one blocked kick … Saw game action in a reserve role in the season’s first four games ... Made first collegiate tackle (assist) in a home win over Arkansas State ... Had first collegiate solo hit in a home setback to UCF ... Earned his first collegiate start came in a road setback at Houston ... Recorded his first collegiate multi-tackle performance with two total tackles (1-1) vs. the Cougars ... Followed the Houston game with seven-straight starts to close the season ... In a loss at SMU, had four total tackles (3-1) ... Posted his first collegiate TFL against the Mustangs (1 yard) ... Had a season-high eight tackles (4-4) against Cincinnati ... Also recorded his first collegiate PBU vs. the Bearcats ... The four solo stops and four assists vs. Cincinnati also were season bests … In next three league games, had at least one TFL ... Totaled 4.5 TFL for 12 yards in those three conference games ... At USF, tied a season high with four solo stops, including a season-best two TFL (4 yards) ... The following week at Louisville, had a season-high tying four unassisted tackles, including his first collegiate sack for seven yards ... The TFL/sack for seven yards was a season best for lost yardage ... Blocked first collegiate kick vs. the Cardinals, a 50-yard FG early in the second quarter … Wrapped up three-game league stretch with a TFL with three total tackles (2-1), including 1.5 TFL, in a home setback to Temple.
High School
Played for head coach Tracy Gandy at Ringling High School ... Selected to the 2012 Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) All-State Team … Named to the OCA’s All-West Team at defensive end … Named to The Oklahoman’s 100th All-State Team at Class A … Selected the District 4-A Defensive Player of the Year … Helped lead Ringling High School to the 2012 Oklahoma Class A state championship … Ranked No. 7 in the Oklahoma AP poll, the Blue Devils’ state title run included three victories over higher-ranked teams … In 35-21 semifinal victory over Texoma, rushed for 103 yards on 20 carries and two TD … In the 39-12 title game victory over Wynnewood, rushed for 143 yards and two TD and had a 22-yard reception … In the championship game and with Ringling facing 4th-and-2, rambled for a 68-yard TD for the game-clinching score.
Personal
Son of Richard and Robin Dillon ... Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma ... Birthday is October 11 ... Father played football at the University of Oklahoma ... Has an older sister, Logan ... Graduated from Memphis in May of 2017 ... Working on a second degree in sports management.
