Marietta, Georgia running back Ebony Jackson has slowly started to see more interest as spring draws near. The Kell High product recently got an offer from Tennessee and he hopes there are more to follow.

"I'm seeing more interest," Jackson said. "It feels good to know the hard work I've put in is making a difference."

Jackson was offered by Tennessee in late February. It was his third offer and one that caught him off guard.

"It was exciting because I didn't expect it," Jackson said. "Tennessee has a good campus. I've been up there for camps and it was a good environment around their coaches."

So what did the Tennessee staff tell him that they liked about his game that made them pull the trigger with an offer?

"I'm fast at my size," Jackson said. "There aren't many running backs that are my size and have my speed. I think that is my best attribute is having a nice combination of both power and speed."

The Vols are in need of a bigger back in the class of 2020 and that's a big reason he is getting their attention.

The person leading the recruitment is tight ends coach Brian Niedermeyer. The conversation was a good early start for Jackson as he gets to know the talented young assistant.

"He's welcoming and nice," Jackson said. "When he was talking to me, I was just like, 'wow he feels like one of my coaches' which was nice because he was so down to earth."

Jackson is a bigger back at 6-foot-1 and over 200 pounds. He packs a punch and loves to hit it up between the tackles. He's constantly working to improve his craft and that includes and area that he feels can help him separate.

"I really want to focus on improving my footwork," Jackson said. "Just work on cone drills and ladders. I work with some of the DB coaches so I can have my feet fast."

Kell lost in the second round in the playoffs to Buford last season. He has high hopes for his senior season.and says this off-season is critical to make a deeper run.

"Just having good chemistry," Jackson said. "Sticking together and having a positive attitude. I'm going to be a better leader this coming year. It all comes down to the work we are going to put in."

South Carolina, East Carolina and Tennessee are the offers for Jackson at this point. He plays safety and corner on defense for Kell. He doesn't really care what he plays, but most are recruiting him as a tailback.

"I just want to play football," Jackson said. "I want to find the best fit for me. I want to be comfortable around the players and coaches."