As Devon Jackson begins the season strong, he credits his success to diligent offseason preparation, particularly in studying game film. “Film study, really, like knowing what I see versus just knowing my job as a defense,” Jackson said. “Knowing what the offense is going to do before it happens. So it's not just me being reactive, it's being proactive. I know what's coming, and I know how fast I can get there much faster to play.”

Jackson emphasized that his momentum hasn't slowed even through the bye week. “For me, just keep the film study up, just keep going hard in practice because we can't take a step down,” he explained. “We got to keep stacking days and keep going up.”

Looking ahead to their next challenge, Jackson has his eye on UCLA’s quarterback. “For me, he's a solid quarterback, likes to scramble. He won’t throw it downfield, likes to take his shots. Solid quarterback all the way around,” Jackson observed. The defensive game plan is clear: “Got to keep him in the cage, and, you know, we got to do our best. Make sure you can't just let him run. Keep him contained. Make sure he doesn't get outside of us and try to expand us on defense.”

Despite playing in the historic Rose Bowl stadium, Jackson remains focused on the task at hand. “Honestly, for me, no, it's just the next opponent,” Jackson said. “Next game, the next person I got to play, we'll go all about that.”

Jackson’s grounded approach to each game and commitment to preparation has clearly played a significant role in his strong start this season.