Indiana Football Transfer Profile: Makai Jackson

Indiana will seemingly always find uses for receivers in Mike Shanahan's high-powered offense. The Hoosiers had ten different receivers catch passes last season, including four with at least three touchdowns each.

What started as a position of strength for Indiana before the season quickly thinned out with the announcements that E.J. Williams and Donaven McCulley would be entering the transfer portal. 

Williams eventually withdrew from the portal, but Curt Cignetti and his staff have added multiple transfers in at the receiver spot to make sure the roster has enough depth to get through the season. 

Makai Jackson is one of the two receivers Cignetti brought in, alongside Tyler Morris from the portal this cycle. Though they have similar builds at 6-feet and 5-foot-11 respectively, Morris is more of a true slot guy, while Jackson has mostly been used out wide in his career.

Jackson comes to Indiana with three years of college experience, the first being at the FCS level with St. Francis. There he was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award for top receiver in the FCS, which propelled him up a level to Appalachian State. 

That season at St. Francis was the only year in his career during which he saw the majority of his snaps in the slot, per PFF. He graded exceptionally well as a receiver and offensive player in general that season, but did struggle with fumbles. 

Over the last two seasons at Appalachian State, he never lined up in the slot for more than 16% of his passing snaps. Because of his size, Indiana may be tempted to move him back to the slot against Big Ten competition, but he's more than proven himself out wide over the last two seasons with the Mountaineers. 

In his first season at the FBS level, Jackson hauled in 27 catches for 418 yards and two touchdowns. He followed it up with an even better season in 2024, he caught 46 passes for 745 yards and five touchdowns. 

One thing that could earn Jackson some early minutes out wide or in the slot is his ability as a ball carrier. At the FCS level, he had 13 carries in his lone season, which the Mountaineers began to tap into last year with five carries for the wide out. Over those five carries, he averaged 18 yards and scored a touchdown.

As a guy that's also seen snaps on special teams coverage and returning, it's safe to say Indiana fans will get to know Jackson in some capacity next year.