Marshall football player Zah Jackson, of Huntington, works through a drill with young athletes during a football camp on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at Wayne High School.
Marshall football player Zah Jackson, of Huntington, works through a drill with young athletes during a football camp on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at Wayne High School.
WAYNE ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” ThereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s no place like home for former Huntington Highlanders star Zah Jackson.
During a football camp at Wayne High School on July 2, where he was one of the featured instructors, Jackson said he has settled in at Marshall University and that heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s fitting in with the Thundering Herd.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œMy family and friends are going to be able to watch me,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Jackson at the camp run by Wayne Pioneers assistant coach Harry Sowards and TR Dues, who has worked with high school football players in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.
Marshall, however, was not JacksonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s first choice.
The cornerback-turned-safety announced on X in October that he had committed to WVU. Jackson signed on Dec. 4 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” three days after the Mountaineers announced they had fired coach Neal Brown.
New coach Rich Rodriguez painted a bleak picture for the freshmen who arrived in Morgantown for spring workouts. Roster limits for all sports were going to force the coaching staff to accept only a few of the players.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWith the new coaching staff and the roster limits, they told us it was going to be hard to keep everybody,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Jackson said.
Hard too, because Jackson said he had made friends in Morgantown.
On April 9, Jackson announced on social media that he had entered the transfer portal. One week later, he announced he had an offer from Marshall and its new coach, Tony Gibson.
On April 17, Jackson announced his return to Huntington with a one-word tweet that read, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHOME.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Jackson said he has no hard feelings about having to leave WVU, understanding the situation.
That helped Jackson end up with the Thundering Herd ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” fittingly in at least one way, as Jackson was a three-time selection by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as winner of the Carl Lee Award, given to the stateÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s top defensive back. Lee, a South Charleston native, starred for the Thundering Herd from 1979-82.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m third on the depth chart right now,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Jackson said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI know IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll be able to show the coaches I can play.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The move to Huntington was a reunion of sorts for both Jackson and Gibson.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a cool guy,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Jackson said of Gibson, a West Virginia native who most recently was defensive coordinator at North Carolina State. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe recruited me for N.C. State.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
With Jackson playing offense and defense at Huntington High for coach Billy Seals, the Highlanders finished 2024 with an 11-2 record and advanced to the Class AAAA semifinals.
Rick Elmore covers sports. He can be reached at 304-348-5122 or relmore@hdmediallc.com. Follow @ElmoreSports on Twitter/X.
