Oh no, say it ain’t so G5!

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— Giles Jackson (@gilesjackson05) March 29, 2021

Michigan’s electrifying kick returner and starting slot receiver Giles Jackson is in the transfer portal, confirming rumors that popped up last week on the Rivals board. Jackson had been sitting out of spring practice with an injury, presumably creating an opportunity for classmate Mike Sainristil and AJ Henning from the class behind them to pass Jackson for spread H duties.

The damage to the MGoSouls here is probably far worse than the effect on the team, which has the afore mentioned plus 2021 recruits Xavier Worthy and Donovan Edwards who can fulfill those offensive roles, even now that announcers have finally learned to tell them apart.

Unfortunately it will be a lot harder to replace Jackson as a returner. Guys Alabama refuses to kick to don’t grow on trees.

We are fools for jitterbugs with attitude around here, and that was Jackson’s game. A Pep Hamilton commit, we had high expectations for Jackson when Pep was shunted aside for Josh Gattis, whose #SpeedInSpace philosophy seemed a perfect match for Jackson’s skillset. Indeed the moments he was unleashed against linebackers went tented-fingersingly swell:

Last year he played more of an outside role as instances when his speed and slipperiness were allowed to shine proved increasingly rare—we had him charted on 12 passes last year, a third of them ruled uncatchable. He was absent for the Penn State game.

We’ll of course be rooting hard for him wherever he goes. Even when Giles Jackson is down, he’s not down.