St. Pius X – abundant with talent and all – arrived at the Texas 7on7 Championships on June 30 with one goal in mind: “Undefeated, that’s always the goal,” three-star wide receiver Jacob Jefferson told TexasHSFootball.
Such a goal was accomplished, at least on the first day of the event as St. Pius X cruised to a perfect 3-0 record, which also aided the personal goal Jefferson came to College Station with.
“My goal is to show that private schools can actually do something,” Jefferson said. “Make a statement.”
The Panthers won their first four games of the tournament before falling to A&M Consolidated in the second round of the Championship Bracket, and much of the success St. Pius X saw throughout the weekend was due to the outstanding pass-catching efforts of Jefferson, who humbly credited his teammates.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of talented wide receivers and they make my job easier,” Jefferson said in regards to Chase Lane and Bryson Jackson. “They open the holes for me to just find them and for Grant [Gunnell] to put them in there.”
Jefferson had no shortage of praise for the latter, either. Prior to becoming a formidable duo throughout the 7on7 Championships, Jefferson’s junior campaign was spent hauling in 69 receptions from the arm of Gunnell for 1,224 yards and 15 touchdowns, so it’s no surprise he considers his floor general to be a blessing.
“That’s a blessing,” Jefferson said of having Gunnell slinging the ball around. “He can put the ball anywhere, can throw it as accurate as anybody and that’s why he’s ranked No. 2 in his class.”
Jefferson, on the other hand, isn’t quite as highly touted in the recruiting landscape, but the three-star Northwestern commit isn’t worried about fielding calls from a variety of coaches anymore – he’s solid to the Wildcats.
“100 percent,” Jefferson said of how solid his commitment to Northwestern is ahead of his senior season. “I’m not changing.”
“I’ve already declined many big schools,” Jefferson added. “I’m just set on Northwestern and getting my future right.”
A future orthopedic surgeon, the allure of what Northwestern offers academically and what he can become beyond the gridiron was a point of emphasis in Jefferson’s unwavering interest in the Wildcats.
“I like the balance of academics and football,” Jefferson said. “It will take me far and I just want to be successful in whatever path I choose.”
Brought to you by:
