Arizona commit Jackson Bailey knows he'll have to earn playing time with the Wildcats

It’s no secret that Kevin Sumlin and the rest of the Arizona coaching staff have cannonballed into Texas and Louisiana to add players to the Wildcats’ 2021 recruiting class.

The UA has offered 55 players from Texas and 15 from Louisiana, according to 247Sports.com’s database. In the last week, the Wildcats have received commitments from two players in the area: Louisiana linebacker/safety Kolbe Cage and, on Friday, three-star Texas outside linebacker Jackson Bailey. Bailey attends Red Oak High School, located south of the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

“Arizona just caught my attention more. It’s not too far from home and it’s not too close,” Bailey said. “I like that it’s a Pac-12 school and my parents won’t have to come to every game, they can just catch it on TV, so they don’t have to spend a lot of money on plane tickets and game tickets.”

There were other reasons, too. Bailey talked to the Star about his commitment, the outside linebacker position, his hobbies and his part-time job — working at Walmart:

Arizona had only been recruiting you for just over a month; why commit now?

A: “They weren’t telling me stuff that I wanted to hear; they were telling me stuff that I needed to hear. Most coaches will say stuff like, ‘You can be the No. 1 prospect or No. 1 draft pick,’ just trying to get me to come to their school. Arizona was telling me stuff like, ‘You’re not guaranteed a spot; you’re gonna have to work for it.’ Other schools were telling me I’d be starting as a freshman and it just made me lose interest in other schools. (Arizona) told me the truth.”

You’re listed as an outside linebacker. Do you envision that being your position once you attend UA?

A: “It’s kind of in between. They told me I was going to be the ‘Sam’ (strong-side) linebacker. When we go into a (three-down dime) package, I’m rushing.

“When we go into other formations, I’m going to be on the field side, either dropping back in coverage or man. So I would say I’m in between like a (NFL star) Tyrann Mathieu or nickel.”

What was it like playing football in Texas?

A: “I started playing football when I was 4 years old, and played ‘little league’ for the Cowboys in DeSoto, and then I moved to Duncanville to play with them. Eventually it was either play middle school ball or play ‘little league.’ In middle school ball, I played wide receiver until my freshman year. My freshman year, I played quarterback at DeSoto High School and then my coach told me at the end of the season, ‘I want you to play tight end or slot.’ I played that sophomore year and then one of the safeties got hurt, so I asked my coach, ‘Can I please go to safety?’

“He put me back there to see what I could do and my first game at safety I had eight or nine tackles. That’s when my coach said I need to switch to outside linebacker, because around that time, I was gaining weight and putting on muscle.

“Once I transferred to Red Oak, that was my first year playing outside linebacker and then I just blew up right after that. I’m looking forward to winning a state championship with them this season and finishing out with a bang.”

Does prior experience at quarterback help you play defense?

A: “When I was a quarterback, I always ran the ball so I got some speed on me. I can read the quarterback’s mind just by looking at his eyes. If he takes off running, I’m gonna catch him.”

Do you have a football idol from Texas?

A: “I didn’t really look up to anyone from Texas, but I always looked up to (Seattle Seahawks linebacker) Bobby Wagner. When I was on offense, I didn’t really look up to anybody, because I wanted to make my own name.

“Once I got to defense, I started watching Bobby Wagner’s clips so I could learn how to hit like him, tackle like him, be a leader like him.”

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What are some goals you want to accomplish before coming to Tucson?

A: “First and foremost, I want to win a state championship. That’s the No. 1 goal and what everyone is going after in high school. I also want to at least get 100 tackles.

“The schedule is a little bit harder (this fall), so I’m gonna go harder than I did last year. I also want to force turnovers and get better at pass rush. … I need to improve on the whole position.”

Do you have any hobbies outside of playing football?

A: “I love playing Madden. If I couldn’t play football anymore, I’d probably play ‘Madden.’ I love playing ‘Madden’ and ‘Call of Duty.’

“I also like working out in my downtime and going outside.”

Do you have a job?

A: “Yep, at Walmart.”

How is it working at a place like Walmart during the COVID-19 pandemic?

A: “They’re really strict on wearing masks and make us check our temperature when we walk in the door. They give us a mask and there’s hand sanitizer everywhere.

“When you go to the cleaning supplies, the minute you put out Lysol, it’s gone within five minutes. The minute you put out disinfecting wipes, it’s gone within five minutes. The cleaning section is the most packed part in Walmart.”

Are shoppers also going nuts for toilet paper like the ones in Arizona?

A: “Not anymore.”

What have you heard about Tucson and the area around the UA campus?

A: “I haven’t really heard anything about it, but I’ve seen the city before. Coach (Andy) Buh and Coach (Stan) Eggen are always sending me videos and pictures of it. It seems like a pretty nice city to me.”

What can Arizona fans expect out of you when you play for the Wildcats?

A: “Expect a hard-worker who never stops grinding. I’m a big tackler, of course, and one who loves football.

“I’m not selfish and I’m a people person, so if you come up to me and try to talk to me, I’m going to talk back. I’m very friendly and dedicated to the sport.”