Ja’Quinden Jackson's college football career will come full circle Saturday when the former Duncanville standout gets to play against No. 3 Texas, the program where it all started four years ago.

Now a fifth-year senior with Arkansas, Jackson has not played since aggravating a right ankle injury against LSU on Oct. 19.

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman said Wednesday that Jackson, the eighth-leading rusher in the SEC, is looking healthy and will be “ready to go” against the Longhorns.

“He’s looked really good in practice, and I expect him to go out there and play at full strength and full speed, and it’s good to have him back,” Pittman said.

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Jackson has certainly enjoyed the full NCAA experience. He signed with Texas as a four-star recruit out of Duncanville but saw his senior year ruined with a torn ACL injury in the state semifinals. Then-Texas coach Tom Herman wanted Jackson to come to UT, redshirt and get fully healthy.

Jackson chose to jump into the transfer portal in December 2020 and transfer to Utah. The dynamic athlete played in three games as a backup quarterback and ran for 30 yards with a touchdown.

Finally in 2022, Jackson’s career really got moving. He played quarterback, running back and special teams while appearing in all 13 games. But Jackson made the permanent move to running back in week four and finished the season with 531 yards and nine touchdowns.

Jackson was a key member of Utah’s 2023 team, getting 11 starts and leading the team in carries (161), rushing yards (797) and 100-yard games (three). But instead of staying for one final year, Jackson chose to transfer again, this time to Arkansas.

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The Razorbacks had just lost Raheim Sanders and AJ Green, so the starting job would be wide open. It paid off big time initially. Jackson had three 100-yard games the first three weeks of the 2024 season, and he added 75 more yards against Auburn in week four.

But Jackson first suffered his ankle injury against Tennessee on Oct. 5. Then it got worse against LSU and Jackson was held out against Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

If he’s fully cleared this week, Jackson can give the Hogs a huge boost to an offense that’s been cooking all season. Arkansas ranks fifth nationally in total offense (483.6) and 33rd in scoring (33.0). Jackson’s 10 touchdowns this season is the most by an Arkansas player since 2017.

Texas has the nation’s 28th-best run defense, having allowed 115.7 yards per game. A huge reason why is 6-foot-6 quarterback Taylen Green, a big body that’s hard for anybody to bring down.

“I think everybody’s tried different things. Some successful, some not so successful, right?,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “They don’t average, you know, 500 yards a game offensively if people are shutting them down.”