Drake Jackson to return for senior season

Good news continues to pour in for the Kentucky Wildcats’ football program. This time, it was the announcement of Drake Jackson’s return for his senior year.

The Cats getting back what is maybe the single most important piece to the Big Blue Wall is a significant development for Kentucky’s offense next season.

With the return of AJ Rose, the running back position will be completely stacked. All of the pieces will be in place for a similar ground and pound attack that led Mark Stoops’ team to a Belk Bowl victory over Virginia Tech.

Jackson let his intentions be known by a post made via Instagram.

Out of all of the positions on the football field, center is one of the most important positions. This is particularly true when you’re talking about a rush-heavy offense like the one Eddie Gran has put in place at Kentucky.

Jackson is heavily responsible for executing the game plan and directing his guys where to go. His experience, along with the return of Landon Young, will likely once agains make the Cats one of the best offensive lines in America.

His on-field skills will be a big component to retain but his off the field intangibles can’t really be quantified. The Cats will add Louisville native John Young to the roster next season. Young is a four-star offensive lineman that has loads of potential. Having access to Jackson’s mentorship should accelerate his development.

Both sides of the ball now appear to be very solid in the trenches for a Kentucky team that has their eyes set on the SEC East championship.

As great as the Citrus and Belk Bowl victories were, you have to imagine that guys like Jackson who have been around the program for the last several years want to go out with a bang.

Is it September yet?