Like everyone else who has watched Louisville QB Lamar Jackson this season, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is raving about the true sophomore, who has emerged as the Heisman front-runner.
In summarizing Jackson's game, Swinney compared him to former No. 1 overall pick Mike Vick, albeit with a different throwing hand (Vick is a lefty).
"A right-handed Michael Vick, is what I was saying the other night. He's got that same explosiveness," Swinney said in his Tuesday news conference. "He can rip the football the same. To me, you hate to compare guys, but that's what he looks like."
Swinney will get a good look at Jackson on Saturday when Clemson hosts the dual-threat star in a crucial ACC Atlantic Division game.
Vick's dual-threat skills led Virginia Tech to the brink of a national championship before the Atlanta Falcons made him the No. 1 overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft. Vick himself has weighed in on recent comparisons between Jackson and himself, and he thinks those comparisons don't do Jackson justice.
Jackson already has accounted for 25 touchdowns on the season, 13 passing and 12 rushing, including seven Saturday in a 59-28 win over Marshall. For the season, he's passed for 1,330 yards and rushed for 526 in just four games. The Cardinals (4-0) are averaging an eye-popping 63 points per game, and Saturday's game with Clemson will give Jackson the chance to prove himself on the road against the defending ACC champions.
NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks has been impressed not only with Jackson's dynamic rushing skills, but with his passing as well, and believes he has the ability to surpass Vick's accomplishments as a college player.
That won't be easy, but for the moment, everything is looking easy for Jackson.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
