Career: All-America recognition from PFN (second team), Phil Steele (fourth team) and PFF College (honorable mention) ... Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 … Invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and Reese's Senior Bowl, where he tied for the team lead with six tackles (four solo) ... Earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2020 and 2021 while being named one of the nation’s most versatile players by ESPN … App State graduate is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration while enrolled in the Walker College of Business … Only FBS player with more than 200 tackles and 25 tackles for loss in the 2020 and 2021 seasons combined .. Only FBS player in the 2000s with a season (2021) that included at least 120 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, six sacks and six passes defended in the same season … That came after being the only 2020 FBS player with at least 90 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and eight passes defended … In four seasons as an on-field contributor, App State went 43-10 with two Sun Belt titles (2018-19), an additional Sun Belt East Division title (2021) and three bowl wins (2018-20) … Totaled 296 tackles, 34.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, three interceptions, 14 PBUs, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and one touchdown (on the return of a blocked punt in 2019 against Charlotte) in his career … Played in 53 career games with 32 starts, including 29 straight to end career.
2021: All-America recognition from PFN (second team), Phil Steele (fourth team) and PFF College (honorable mention) … Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Sun Belt … Team captain started all 14 games … Finished season with 120 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, one interception, five pass breakups, one forced fumble and 27 quarterback pressures (via PFF) … Only FBS player in the 2000s with a season (2021) that included at least 120 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, six sacks and six passes defended in the same season … Fourth-most tackles among FBS players on teams with at least 10 wins … Had 11 stops, 3.5 TFLs, one sack and four hurries in the Sun Belt title game … In Sun Belt opener, named Defensive Player of the Week thanks to nine tackles, one sack, one INT, one PBU and one QB hurry … First FBS player since 2014 and first-ever Sun Belt player with at least 13 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks in the same game (Elon).
2020: First-team All-Sun Belt from Phil Steele, second-team All-Sun Belt from the league and third-team pick from PFF … Started all 12 games at inside linebacker … Tied for the team lead with 91 tackles while contributing 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, six pass breakups, four QB hurries and one fumble recovery … Only FBS player with at least 90 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and eight passes defended (he had six PBUs) — NC State's Payton Wilson reached those marks in four of five categories but had only three passes defended (two INTs, one PBU) … According to ESPN, had 11 run stuffs and recorded a 36-percent pressure rate in 33 pass rushes ... Double-digit tackles in three of App State’s last seven games … Named National Defensive MVP of the Week by PFF College following the Georgia State game in which received a grade of 91.0 with nine total tackles, six tackles that resulted in a loss or no gain, one sack, two tackles for loss, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery, one quarterback hurry and no completions allowed on four targets … First two career interceptions were both picks recorded in the end zone against Arkansas State … Had 11 tackles apiece in the bowl win against North Texas and at Texas State, as well as 10 against Coastal Carolina … In App State’s eight league games, totaled 60 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, five PBUs, 1.5 sacks and one fumble recovery ... Preseason first-team All-Sun Belt from Athlon and second team from Phil Steele.
2019: Played in all 14 games and made six starts at inside linebacker … Fifth on the team with 60 tackles to go along with 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two PBUs, one QB hurry … Scored his first college touchdown on the 16-yard return of a blocked punt with 39 seconds left in the first half against Charlotte … Started the last three games as well as wins at South Carolina, at Louisiana and against ULM … Fourth on the team with 31 solo tackles … Recorded sacks in road games against South Alabama, Georgia State (8-yard loss) and Troy (10-yard loss) … Had a career-high nine tackles against Georgia Southern and seven against Coastal Carolina … Made six tackles apiece against ETSU and UAB in the New Orleans Bowl … Broke up two passes in the win at South Carolina.
2018: Appeared in all 13 games, playing inside linebacker and contributing on special teams … Totaled 25 tackles (tied for the team lead among underclassmen) with 2.0 tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry and one pass breakup … Had a season-high five tackles against South Alabama and four against Charlotte … Had a tackle for loss in the New Orleans Bowl.
2017: Redshirted
High School: Named a two-star prospect by 247Sports and Scout.com … South Carolina Mr. Football finalist … Named the Herald Journal Defensive Player of the Year and the Blitz Linebacker of the Year as a senior at Broome High School in Spartanburg in 2016 … Finished career with over 400 tackles, 27 TFLs, 15 sacks and eight interceptions … Shrine Bowl selection as a senior … 2016 Palmetto Back of the Year, rushing for over 3,000 yards … Named Broome High School MVP in 2015 & 2016 … Four-time all-area, all-academic selection … State champion in discus.
Personal: Full name is D’Marco Carnelius Jackson … Born July 20, 1998 … Son of Banueir and Carmen Jackson … Has four siblings, three brothers … Cousin Maurice Morris played in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions … Brothers played football at Pikeville and Limestone College … Grew up on a family farm and enjoys riding horses, fishing, bull riding and calf wrestling.
