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Georgia safety Dan Jackson was not named amongst the 329 players who were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday.
It was a surprising decision by NFL decision-makers, as Jackson was a multi-year contributor with the Bulldogs and was a top player on their defense in 2024. According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson played 706 snaps for the Bulldogs in 2024. That was the third-most on the UGA defense behind only Malaki Starks and Daylen Everette.
Jackson posted a career-high 64 tackles this season. He also collected 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 3 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. But more than his production as a senior, ‘Dirty Dan’ has become a Georgia fan favorite over the years. A former walk-on, Jackson was a member of 2 National Championship teams during his time in Athens as well.
Jackson’s Georgia teammate Warren Brinson was amongst those who bemoaned Jackson’s absence from the invite list:
Despite the NFL not including Jackson, Georgia will be very well-represented at the Combine overall. More than a dozen players from Georgia’s 2024 roster made the cut, including players like Starks, Dominic Lovett, Tate Ratledge and many more.
As for Jackson, he will still have an opportunity to get drafted in the 2025 draft or perhaps latch on to a team as an undrafted free agent. By all accounts, Jackson had a great week of practice at the Senior Bowl earlier this offseason.
The NFL Scouting Combine will be held from Feb. 27 through March 2 in Indianapolis.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
