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Texas Tech football alums: Recently cut, Branden Jackson re-signs with Seattle

By Matthew Conner

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 22: Running back Kenyan Drake #41 of the Arizona Cardinals is tackled by defensive end Branden Jackson #93 of the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on December 22, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 22: Running back Kenyan Drake #41 of the Arizona Cardinals is tackled by defensive end Branden Jackson #93 of the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on December 22, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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Texas Tech football alum Branden Jackson has agreed to re-sign with the Seattle Seahawks just a week after being released.

Life in the NFL can be rather cut-throat and unpredictable.  Over the last week, Texas Tech football alum Branden Jackson learned that first hand.

Monday, the veteran DE reportedly agreed to re-sign with the Seattle Seahawks just over a week after being cut in a salary-cap move.  Now, he’s back for his fourth season in the Pacific Northwest.

In his first three years in the NFL, the Pennsylvania native has registered 42 tackles and 3.5 sacks.  In 2019, Jackson was credited with career-highs in tackles (20) and sacks (2.0).

Jackson has never been able to rest easy when it has come to his spot on the Seattle roster.  In fact, he was also cut prior to the 2018 season only to find his way back.

What works in the 295-pounder’s advantage is his versatility as he can rush off the edge of the defensive line or slide down to a five-technique where he is asked to be more of a run-stopper.  That was similar to the role he played as a Red Raider.

Playing at 275 pounds in college, he bounced between outside linebacker and defensive end during his time in Lubbock, which ran from 2012-15.  During that time, he amassed 135 tackles (22.5 for loss) and 9 sacks.

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Jackson’s best season for the Texas Tech football program came in 2013 when he had 44 tackles and 4.0 sacks.  He was also credited with three pass defenses that season.

A year later, Jackson was rather opportunistic.  He came up with a pair of fumble recoveries while also forcing a fumble himself.  In addition, he came up with 10.5 tackles for loss.

Coming out of high school, Jackson was a 4-star prospect.  Rated by 247Sports at the No. 17 outside LB in the nation, he picked Tech over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Louisville, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and others.

Unfortunately, he never quite developed into the type of player that Red Raider fans hoped he would.   But much of that had to be because of the chaos that defined his time as a Red Raider.

He played his first season for head coach Tommy Tuberville and defensive coordinator Art Kaufman.  But a year later, he was playing for Kliff Kingsbury and DC Matt Wallersteadt.

Of course, the Wallersteadt run as DE lasted only three games into the 2014 season when he was fired for allegedly showing up to the team facility under the influence.  Assistant coach Mike Smith, himself a Red Raider alum, finished that season as the interim DC but he was replaced by David Gibbs in 2015.  Thus, Jackson had two different head coaches and four different defensive coordinators in his four-year run on the South Plains.

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That’s not a recipe for success for any player and it’s a shame that Jackson was not able to have more stability at Tech.  But since then, he’s landed with one of the most stable and well-run franchises in American sports and now it appears he will have at least one more year to make his mark in Seattle.

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