Suitland’s Jacobs stands out
Through two games, Suitland senior Taivon Jacobs has recorded touchdowns in a variety of ways. He has tallied scores rushing and receiving, as well as returned a punt and an interception into the opposing end zone.
That last means of crossing the goal line is significant because while Jacobs – who orally committed to Ohio State this summer – is well known for his skills as a wide receiver, he is growing adept at locking down opposing receiving threats, too.
Jacobs is “just a dynamic football player; it really doesn’t matter what side of the ball he’s on,” Suitland Coach Ed Shields said Monday in a telephone interview. “The thing about it is while he’s not that big, he tackles with the best of ’em.
“Everybody’s aware of his running, and a lot of people can run, but he can play football. It just so happens that he can run, too. And there’s a difference with that. . . . That’s what separates him from so many others.”
Last season marked Jacobs’s first experience at free safety, and Shields said Jacobs now is much more comfortable making the calls and setting the defense into proper alignment. Shields said Jacobs’s range and athleticism helps Suitland — which has yet to allow a single point this season — prevent opposing quarterbacks from “just throwing it up for grabs.”
“If he gets it, there’s a good possibility he’s going to make it six” points, Shields said. “He helps take away our deep middle and allows us to do some things that maybe you couldn’t do if you didn’t have somebody with his football ability back there.” During Suitland’s season-opening 40-0 win over McKinley , Jacobs returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown. And while Jacobs didn’t have an interception during Suitland’s 56-0 victory Saturday over Oxon Hill , he served as enough of a deterrence in the secondary to be effective.
“I won’t say yet that we’re taking [Jacobs’s versatility] for granted, but I’m sure at some point you do,” Shields said. “Our biggest thing is we still have to get him the ball more. We’re looking for ways to do that even more, because he’s really a threat with it in his hands.”
