2025 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Jackson Waring, QB, Grand View University

• Name: Jackson Waring
• Position: QB
• College: Grand View University
• Height: 6’3”
• Weight: 225
• Twitter: Jacksonwaring
• Instagram: Jacksonwaring

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2025 NFL Draft?

My physique and frame at the QB position are rare and additionally, I have the arm talent and the ability to make plays on the run anywhere on the field alongside anybody in the draft. My ability to lead and push my men on and off the field is crucial to the success of the team as a whole. I love to compete and win games and I will do what it takes to put us in the best position to win and be successful. Film study and throwing sessions are the name of the game and I take what I see from film that week and work with my wide receivers on adjustments and depths to routes based on coverages we are seeing/getting for that week. I enjoy learning and growing in my knowledge of the game of football. I am okay with being wrong learning from mistakes and improving. A coachable QB looking to always progress and seek out his OC’s philosophy will be successful and is the best QB. That is me. The QB is the field general and all eyes are watching him whether he likes it or not, so great composure while being cool and collected in the face of adversity is essential in high-stakes moments and keeping the team on 10 toes. I love the challenge and nature of this position and the Lord has blessed me by putting me in many great opportunities to lead and grow as a man and a QB.

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

I am a Jesus lover. He is the main reason I play this game and He is who I live life for! I enjoy reading books specifically non-fiction and heavy historical bases. Talking about life and building personal relationships is the most important thing to me, because at the end of the day, football is just a game, but the relationships we build with each other will leave a much longer-lasting impact. Iron sharpens iron as one man does to another. I love to eat food. I have the appetite of an O-lineman which was learned during my time at Illinois State. The O-lineman and I would go to the dining hall and see who could eat the most plates of food!

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be?

Missionaries work foreign and domestic and helping those ministries not only spread the message of the good news but also help those who need a facility to use and gather for a church. This is a serious issue for those in countries where they cannot freely follow Jesus publicly and experience persecution for following, so giving them the resources and materials for the missionaries to help these individuals is imperative to me.

Who was your role model?

My mom and dad played an important role in my life growing up and still to this day. My whole family did as a matter of fact. They sacrificed a lot to help me get to where I wanted to go through sports. Countless hours spent on the road whether it was AAU basketball or travel football/ 7v7, they were always willing to sacrifice their time and wanted to ensure I was staying involved in extracurricular activities. They set a great example of their faith in Christ and their faithfulness to each other. They have brought up my siblings and me well and I am extremely grateful for it.

Who is your favorite NFL team?

The Kansas City Chiefs. No this is no bandwagon! Practically my entire family is from the KC area and that is where my parents met. We are not die-hard fans, but enjoy catching some games here and there when we can. When we are watching (My brother, dad, and I) we thoroughly enjoy watching Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes come together and spectacularly run their offense. It is a well-oiled machine with a great quarterback who understands the game and plays assignment football while also understanding how to make the play when he needs to. The Chiefs also have a rocking stadium. I’ve been to a couple of games and it never disappoints with that atmosphere.

Who is the most underrated teammate at your school?

He plays QB as well and his name is Sawyer Wardlow. He came in from Centerville, IA. I played at his school during my time in high school as well. He’s a young gunslinger and still learning the game, but he does have a cannon when he wants to. He comes out to our throwing sessions and puts in the work. He’s got the arm talent, but sometimes doesn’t have the confidence for whatever reason, because when I see him throwing with just us QB and WR on the field he lets that thing fly! As a collective unit in the quarterback room, we are continuously trying to build confidence which starts with first identifying coverages and knowing where our eyes need to be pre/post snap so we can make a throw on time and target. He has gotten much better with this area of his game and I’m excited to see how he does with his reps this fall.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Individuals who are given an opportunity and leave it to waste either to a bad attitude or laziness. This to me is like a punch in the face. Not only to me but to the rest of the team and coaches as well. It is no fun nor is it good having a teammate beside you who you know is not going to give his best effort because it’s a “walk-thru” or a “light lift” or even getting complacent in a week 6 practice. That translates directly to game-time and I’m pretty sure I can speak for all of us who play the game, but we need a brother on our left and to our right that have not only put in the work but knows and can trust to do their job every play, so I can do mine to the best of my ability every play and not have to worry about their mental.

Who is your favorite teacher ever?

Her name is Annie Pettit or Ms. Pettit to me. She was my Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior year of high school. She has also been a great role model in my life, not only because of her faith but for the woman she is and the way she treats individuals. She is a walking motto of treating others the way you would want to be treated. She represents that and she took me under her wing when I transferred to Des Moines Christian during my Freshman year. We have been in contact ever since I have been out of high school and we try to catch dinner here and there when we can to catch up and see how each other are doing. She is family to me and I am extremely blessed to have her in my circle. She is also a phenomenal cross-country coach and has brought state championships back to Des Moines Christian under her tutelage. Great woman/great coach.

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome?

The hardest moment in my life to overcome was the grim reality of going from starter to 4th-5th on the depth chart at Illinois State. This happened in a matter of a couple of months. This was also a point in my life outside of football where I was at my lowest too. This was the beginning of my walk with Christ where I declared Him as my Lord and Savior. It was hard to wrestle with the fact that I would not be playing QB here again, but I still wanted to try and get on the field. This is where I learned to play TE, WR, and RB during my last year at Illinois State. It was bizarre not being in the gun and part of me did not like it all. I was furious, but I also kept in mind that I was still able to play the game I loved even though I wasn’t in my desired position. I started to love running routes and working releases and understanding voids and holes in the defense to be quarterback-friendly and to get as many catches as possible. It helped me grow as an overall player and my knowledge of the game expanded greatly because I had the opportunity to sit in on different position groups and learn their lingo as well as some of their assignments and what they look for from play to play. This was great for me when I got to Grand View and jumped back in the gun. I was able to relate to my receivers when talking routes and depth against certain coverages and what I had learned when I was taking reps against one of the top defenses in the MVFC. It also helped me with my eyes pre/post-snap as a quarterback and finding the key defenders who we want to put into conflict with our concept and scheme. I am extremely blessed to have had this happen to me and I am evermore grateful to have the Lord as my refuge and to understand that His plans will take me where I need to be and that is Grand View University with the great group of coaches and players around me.

If you could have any franchise restaurant in your house what would it be?

B-pops or Portillos. B-pops is a Midwest deal, kind of a local burger joint. Really good burgers and shakes. Portillos is a very popular spot for people in Illinois, but we don’t have them in Iowa. They have great everything there and they even sell cakes and exotic shakes for any kind of shake guru.

What is your favorite snack food?

Cherry sours, Blueberries, Blue Sharks, Strawberries, and Zebra Cakes

What is your degree in?

Psychology I have a bachelors. The study of people and their brains just seemed interesting and it also can give some good insight on yourself with decision-making and emotional intelligence. I am going for a Masters in Organizational Leadership this Fall and Spring semester of 2025.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Jesus of Nazareth, Alexander the Great, and John the Baptist. One more… Sun Tzu. Jesus of course because He is my Lord and savior and I would love to sit and listen to Him about the world He was living in and the apostles who followed Him and to also ask him personal questions along with the pre-flood world with Noah. Alexander the Great because he conquered pretty much the known world and even into Asia. I would love to hear how he conducted his military in such wide demand because of the land he ruled over and how he settled revolutions in a far-off acropolis without dissension in his empire. John the Baptist because he was also the cousin to Jesus of Nazareth. He was the one who was the most bold in his faith. The way he was described in the Bible makes him one of the more interesting characters just based on John’s writing and what the apostles had to say of John. My honorable mention is Sun Tzu. All warfare is based on deception. So pretty much what happens when 11 guys line up against 11 guys trying to score a football. He still to this day is known for his military strategy and generalship of how to run and operate an army of men, but how to also handle and manage newly conquered people and to genuinely care for them to help assimilate them into their new society.

What is your biggest weakness?

I would go ahead and say perfectionism. Whether it’s with my school work or on the football field I am looking to make it the best paper/assignment I can make. While on the field I am expecting not only of myself but also my teammates to do everything correctly and their assignments. Granted in a perfect world it would be great if we had every play go the way we expected to/wanted it. But that’s football and that is certainly life. Adversity and situations change in seconds and I have been making a conscious effort since I’ve been here at Grand View to understand this and to have a short memory when it comes to mishaps on the field. You gotta be able to be resilient and learn from the previous mistake, but also move on and prepare yourself for the next play. With the constant mindset of perfectionism on the field, I can assure you one thing it prepares the individual and team to be successful because in everything we do we are looking to be the best we can be every rep, and when we mess up we learn from it and perfect it! Always looking for ways to improve and get better, but never being too hard on ourselves or each other to where we don’t play well.