The Texas Longhorns are expected to sign a smaller recruiting class in the 2020 cycle, so there won’t be quite as many days for Texas fans to celebrate commitments as they’ve experienced in the past.

Today is definitely a day to celebrate.

Ja’Quinden Jackson, one of the top overall prospects in the state of Texas, announced moments ago that he has committed to the Longhorns, capping a wild day that included early speculation on whether or not the elite Duncanville product would carry through his plans to make a decision on Monday. In the end, it’s the Longhorns that are celebrating after landing a pledge from one of the top prospects on their board.

Jackson, a dual-threat quarterback, chose Texas over heavy interest from schools like Oklahoma and a lengthy list of offers that included programs like Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, LSU, Nebraska, TCU and Texas A&M.

Originally, the 6-2, 219-pounder had planned to wait until late in the process before making a decision, but Jackson announced on Twitter recently that he was close to a decision, and then followed that up late last week with a statement saying he’d be committing today, June 3. Earlier this morning, there was discussion that Jackson might postpone his decision until later this month but it’s all a moot point now, with Texas the victor in what at one time looked like it might be one of the more hotly-contested recruitments in the state.

An electric playmaker at the quarterback position, Jackson is a true dual threat who can take over games with his legs or his arm. Last year, as a junior, Jackson completed 63.6 percent of his passes in throwing for nearly 1,600 yards with 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He added just shy of 1,500 yards (10 ypc) and 23 touchdowns on the ground in helping lead Duncanville within an eyelash of a state title. He’s a player who seems to elevate his performance on the biggest of stages, and he’s the type that can completely take over a contest when his team needs a lift.

“I think going through Texas for the first time, Ja’Quinden Jackson was a must-see prospect for me because the tape is off the charts,” said Rivals.com recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman. “That’s a combination of his arm and mobility. Seeing him in person, it’s hard to look past that arm. It assures you he’s perfectly capable of playing quarterback at a high level. There might not be a quarterback in the state with as strong of an arm as Jackson. What really surprised me is the touch he showed on his deep passes. The short and intermediate game will be the biggest areas to work on for him. The arm strength is there to rifle it into tight spaces, but the accuracy is spotty sometimes. That’s something he can work on. He has a quick release, can refine his footwork a little and that will help his accuracy down the road.

“There might not be a quarterback you want running the ball more than Jackson. I think he’ll give Texas some versatility in different packages, you can line him up in different formations. He has the perfect blend of speed, power and athleticism that can make defenders miss or he can leap over defenders. He’s just a special athlete.”

There’s been talk that Jackson could be tried at positions other than quarterback in college since he’s such a dynamic athlete, but he told Orangebloods.com in the spring that his plan was to play quarterback, since that’s where his experience lies. Texas has told him he’ll get that shot.

“I’m going to stick to playing quarterback,” Jackson said. “I don’t do anything else but play quarterback, so I don’t want to go to college trying to play something else and I haven’t been working on it. So I’m going to stick to playing quarterback.”

Though he never released a formal list of favorites, Texas was always believed to be a major contender for Jackson’s commitment. In fact, he mentioned the Longhorns and Oklahoma as the two schools that were recruiting him the hardest and talking to him the most about playing quarterback. While Jackson choosing Texas wasn’t a big surprise, the timing of the commitment was a bit earlier than expected. For Jackson, there’s a lot to like about the UT program.

“It’s a great school. They have a great program,” Jackson said. “And they had a great season this year. They beat Georgia, which surprised me. They have a good thing going on at Texas.”

A four-star prospect and Rivals250 member, Jackson becomes the Longhorns’ sixth commitment in the 2020 class. He’s the second quarterback to give Texas a pledge, joining Lake Travis standout Hudson Card. All six of the commitments come from the offensive side of the ball.