Iowa State football loses wide receiver Daniel Jackson to leg injury

The considerable depth in the Iowa State wide receiver room has taken its first loss, and in cruel fashion.

Daniel Jackson, whose football career was threatened by a car crash in high school, is expected to miss the 2024 season after suffering a leg injury, Iowa State coach Matt Campebll said.

“More than likely he’ll be out for the year,” Campbell said Tuesday. “Lower-leg injury.”

Jackson appeared in all 13 games for the Cyclones last year, making 16 receptions for 260 yards and two touchdowns. He was expected to be in the mix for targets behind clear-cut leaders Jaylin Noel and Jaden Higgins among the wide receivers.

The Texas native has already overcome significant injuries in his career. He fractured his nasal cavity and had a plate inserted into his head after a car crash during his senior year of high school. One doctor told him he would never play football again, but he returned for the final game of his senior year.

“(It's) tough because he’s been through so much,” Campbell said Tuesday of the leg injury. “The one thing he’s already shown is incredible leadership through that.

“We’ll navigate where that takes Daniel as we go.”

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This was set to be Jackson’s fifth season at Iowa State, but as a member of the Class of 2020 entered the year with an additional year of eligibility available to him due to the COVID-19 waiver granted that year by the NCAA.

“We were already in conversation before the season started and before this situation started about where are we going to go with this,” Campbell said. “The biggest thing in my conversation with him is let’s let this settle. Let’s figure out where we are, and let’s figure out if you’re ready to go attack this thing from a football perspective.

“It’s just time. We’re going to try to work through that, let this navigate itself the next couple days and have that conversation at the end of fall camp.”

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Iowa State still has depth behind Noel and Higgins within its wide receiver group with sophomore Beni Ngoyi expected to take a larger role along with transfers Eli Green (North Dakota State) and Isaiah Alston (Army).

Iowa State columnist Travis Hines has covered the Cyclones for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune since 2012. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football's Daniel Jackson suffers lower leg injury