By JAMES MADDEN & SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — VCU landed a commitment from a 6-foot-7, self-described “big-guard” last month in Sammy Jackson, who chose the Rams over the likes of Texas, Indiana and St. Joe’s.
Out of the 2026 class, Jackson is entering his senior season at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia. Spending his summer with Team Final, he averaged 12.8 points and 6.2 assists per game in his first Peach Jam after moving to the EYBL from Philly Pride of the UAA circuit.
“It’s been fun,” Jackson told ZAGSBLOG. “Coming from Under Armour to Nike, it was a really big thing. I was looking forward, I was excited, anxious for what was going to come with it. But a lot of good stuff came. I got to showcase my game on a bigger platform.”
Since making the move to the EYBL, Jackson has improved various parts of his game, most notably his ability to be a true point guard.
“That’s my ultimate goal in college, to be able to play point guard,” he said. “There’s not that many 6’7 point guards, and I feel it’s a better way to get looked at, a better way to showcase your game and really stand out from other people. Because there’s a lot of 6’0, 6’1 point guards.”
Jackson’s commitment to VCU makes all the sense in the world when diving into the history of head coach Phil Martelli Jr. and his family. The Martelli family has become basketball royalty in the city of Philadelphia, so it’s only fitting that Jackson, the top-ranked player from the city, is headed to play for the family.
He outlined his recruitment and the thought process behind his commitment to VCU.
“It feels more like home,” Jackson said. “Other schools were great. Texas, Indiana, St. Joe’s, they were all great. I feel like VCU had the most sense of a brotherhood and they have a great winning culture over there. Just looking at the Martelli’s, Ryan Daly, all the rest of the staff. Just the effort they put into recruiting me, showing me love, that really meant a lot to me and went into my decision.”
Jackson told ZAGSBLOG he had a moment at dinner where the idea of wearing black and gold clicked in his mind. He never looked back.
“We were out to eat, all the coaches and everybody,” he said. “We were just talking and I was like — really it was like a click. Like, I can be myself around them. A lot of schools you’ve got to act professional and stuff like that, but I can really just be myself around them. They’re a great group of guys, great staff and great players.”
How does Jackson characterize Martelli Jr.?
“He’s a coach you can really talk to if you’re having struggles,” he said. “You can really talk to him. He’ll give you good criticism and give you what you want to hear, but most importantly what you need to hear. He’s hard on them in a good way, and I feel like that’s what really helps. He won at Bryant last year. He’s a winning coach, and I’m looking forward to playing for him.
Jackson continued on how the relationship started:
“I was talking to Jimmy Martelli when he was at Penn State and once he went down to VCU, him and his brother took over there and they started recruiting from there. They just showed a lot of love from Penn State and brought it over to VCU and really talked to me there.”
The VCU staff has been adamant about Jackson becoming a more aggressive player and touching up his shooting form, he said. The four-star also mentioned VCU’s facilities and was impressed by everything surrounding the program.
“Their facilities were definitely mind-blowing,” he said. “I was surprised with how nice the facilities were and the campus was. I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. The facilities were amazing, the practice facility, the gym were amazing.”
Jackson is VCU’s first commit in the class of 2026 and the fifth-highest ranked recruit in program history. He is a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 68 overall player in the country, according to 247Sports.
“I’m ready to work and get a chip,” Jackson said of his message to VCU fans.
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