Jackson Kuwatch

Jackson Kuwatch (Koo-Watch), who has two sisters (Emma and Cece), grew up in the Cincinnati area, where he was a standout football and lacrosse player. He originally attended Mariemont High School and helped the lacrosse team advance to the 2019 state championship. Before his junior year, he transferred to Lakota West High School, where he earned all-state honors as a senior linebacker (53 tackles) and helped lead the team to a regional final. A no-star recruit, he received offers from Division II (Findlay, Tiffin) and the FCS (Eastern Illinois), but Ohio State was his dream school, so he accepted a walk-on opportunity with the Buckeyes. Aside from playing a handful of special teams snaps, he didn’t see the field over his two seasons in Columbus and decided to transfer. He landed at Miami (Ohio), where he was a backup for two years before putting himself on the NFL radar with an All-MAC senior season. Playing the Mike linebacker role in the RedHawks’ 4-2-5 base, Kuwatch used his natural size and range to patrol the middle of the field with presence. He has shorter arms for his height but can flip his hips cleanly for a high-cut athlete. He is quick to key and flow, with the reaction ability to anticipate cutback lanes. He needs to continue maturing his punch hands to get off blocks more efficiently. His blitzing talent is a pleasant surprise — he flashes downhill burst from different angles. He reads the eyes of the quarterback well in zone to undercut routes, although his man-cover reps aren’t as polished. Overall, Kuwatch consistently jumped out on tape, during the all-star circuit and at his pre-draft workouts, which gives him a chance to hear his name called on draft weekend as a toolsy project for an NFL linebackers coach.