Chris Pollard Adds Another Former Blue Devil to His Roster

In his one year at Duke, Jackson appeared in 16 games, recording four at-bats and picking up five runs and two hits, with one being a double and driving in two RBIs. Jackson also drew three walks and posted an on-base percentage of .714. 

In high school, Jackson was the No. 56 prospect in the state of Georgia after posting a .370 batting average with 15 home runs. Jackson was also a three-star prospect on the gridiron and committed to Duke as a two-sport athlete. On the football field for Holy Innocents Episcopal, he featured as a cornerback, nabbing 19 career interceptions while recording 34 receptions for 672 yards, 500+ rushing yards, and 23 total touchdowns. 

At Duke, Jackson also played football, serving as a redshirt safety for the Blue Devils. It remains to be seen if Jackson will feature on the gridiron for UVa. If so, he’d be another two-sport athlete in Charlottesville following in the steps of Jay Woolfolk, who served as a pitcher and quarterback. 

Jackson is the 8th player to transfer to Virginia and the seventh Duke Blue Devil to do so as Chris Pollard continues to bring his roster over from Durham. Jackson joins former teammates AJ Gracia, Sam Harris, and Henry Zatkowski, among others, who have transferred from Duke to Virginia as they hope to get Pollard over the hump and help him to his first College World Series appearance. Pollard has made it to four Super Regionals but has fallen short of Omaha each time. 

In other news, Texas Longhorns Baseball News on X reported Sunday evening that star shortstop Eric Becker will return to Charlottesville after choosing Virginia over Texas. The addition is massive for Pollard as Becker was a stud for the Hoos in 2025, recording 21 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, and 52 RBIs while leading the team in batting average (.368), slugging percentage (.617), runs scored (54), RBI’s and doubles. 

The return of Becker also gives Pollard another concrete core for his team, alongside bringing in Gracia, who is rated the eighth-best prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft. He recorded 15 home runs, 63 hits, 57 runs, and 54 RBIs last season in Durham, giving Pollard two stars that will create a ton of excitement this spring. 

Of the other Hoos confirmed to return, third baseman Luke Hanson is also returning to Virginia and registered three home runs, four doubles, and 21 RBIs while appearing in 48 games in 2025. The year before, Hanson had seven home runs and 37 RBIs, and is more than capable of stepping into a larger role in his third year. 

For now, with college baseball officially over with LSU securing the title, the offseason for all teams is in session.