Former Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson has committed to Georgetown, he revealed on Thursday afternoon in a collaborative Instagram post in partnership with On3.
The move brings Jackson, a New Jersey native, closer to home after his three seasons at KU, and will give him a new start at the high-major level. His commitment follows those of fellow ex-Jayhawk transfers Flory Bidunga (Louisville), Samis Calderon (Butler; they’ll face off in the Big East Conference), Jamari McDowell (Wake Forest) and Bryson Tiller (Missouri).
A former McDonald’s All-American in the 2023 recruiting class, Jackson faced some adversity during his Kansas tenure. He opened the 2023-24 campaign as a freshman starter on a roster that did not have very much depth, but went to the bench after averaging 5.4 points through his first 15 games, as the rise of wing Johnny Furphy displaced him from the lineup. Jackson finished that year averaging 38.7 minutes across his 34 games with 4.3 points, 1.7 assists and 1.4 rebounds.
He seemed poised to make a significant jump as a sophomore, but tore his patellar tendon in June 2024, which caused him to miss the entire season that followed.
After a lengthy rehab process, Jackson returned to action showing no ill effects from the injury, and displayed plenty of the athleticism that made him a highly coveted prospect in the first place. He developed into one of KU’s top defenders as a redshirt sophomore and earned a consistent place in the rotation, appearing in 34 games with one start.
At times he flashed the potential to become a more dynamic offensive player, like when he scored 17 points to rally the Jayhawks against Tennessee in the Players Era or a career-best 19 on the road at Kansas State; however, he also made little positive impact in other games. His year ended in disappointing fashion when he subbed in for the final 3.9 seconds of KU’s second-round game against St. John’s and allowed the game-winning layup to Dylan Darling.
Now he will move on to Georgetown. The Hoyas have made the tournament just once since 2015, and last year they went 16-18 overall and 6-14 in Big East play. They are coached by Ed Cooley, formerly of Fairfield and Providence.
