Malik Jackson is the ninth junior in East Texas' football recruiting class to own at least one NCAA Division I FBS offer.

Arkansas State made the Lufkin receiver its first target of the local 2018 class Wednesday. Jackson (6-0, 170) announced the news through his personal Twitter account.

Jackson was part of an explosive Lufkin offense last season. He caught 52 passes for 1,017 yards and 10 scores from future Texas State quarterback Kordell Rodgers and had to compete for touches with Trinity Valley Community College receiver commitment Dhailon Phillips.

Lufkin reached the bi-district round of the Class 6A Division II playoffs after a 7-3 regular season and lost by a point to John Tyler, which advanced two more rounds to become the region's most successful of four 6A teams.

The Red Wolves program was notorious earlier this decade as a launching pad for new head coaches. Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin all got their Division I head coaching starts in Jonesboro, Ark., and reached bowl games before moving on after one season.

Blake Anderson has given the program the consistency it sought. He's slated to coach a fourth season at Arkansas State this fall on the heels of bowl appearances the past three seasons -- the university's fifth, sixth and and seventh postseason games since joining the FBS ranks in 1992.

Arkansas State won the 2015 Sunbelt Conference championship outright and tied for first place this past year with Appalachian State.

The program loves to schedule a stringent non-conference schedule. Auburn, Utah State and Toledo served as three of four season-opening losses in 2016, but the Red Wolves rallied to win seven of eight Sunbelt games and then topped Central Florida in Orlando's Cure Bowl.

If Jackson ultimately signs with Arkansas State, he will get the opportunity to face Alabama, Georgia, Memphis, SMU, Tulsa and UNLV at least once during his college career. He'll get to see the 2017 team compete against Miami, Nebraska and SMU while being recruited.

Jackson, like all college football prospects currently in their junior year of high school, will become eligible to sign with any school that offers him in February of 2018.

2018 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

  • Tre Allison, John Tyler, OLB, 6-0, 200 — committed to SMU; additional offer from Mississippi State (2)
  • Chance Amie, Tyler Lee, QB, 6-3, 190 — offers from Bowling Green, Iowa State (2)
  • Xavier Benson, Pleasant Grove, LB, 6-0, 200 — offer from ULL (1)
  • Dekalen Goodson, John Tyler, DE/OLB, 6-0, 215 — offer from Mississippi State (1)
  • Chasen Hines, Marshall, C, 6-3, 340 — offers from Baylor, Louisiana Tech, LSU, Minnesota, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (11)
  • Keaontay Ingram, Carthage, RB, 6-0, 198 — offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, UTSA (19)
  • Malik Jackson, Lufkin, WR, 6-0, 170 — offer from Arkansas State (1)
  • DeMarvion Overshown, Arp, ATH, 6-4, 196 — offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Clemson, Florida State, Kansas, LSU, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, UTSA (19)
  • Tyree Wilson, West Rusk, LB, 6-5, 225 — offer from ULL(1)

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