Each year, the University of Utah Football program chooses a current member of the team to receive the 22 Forever Memorial Scholarship. It is a tradition that honors the lives of Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe – to keep their legacy alive and remember them for the men that they were. That honor will go to running back Ja'Quinden Jackson for the second straight season.

"When you feel like everything is wasted and you don't know what to do, you just think about those two dudes and how they would continue to move forward and dig deeper," Jackson said. "To just be 22-percent better."

Each season, the Utah players vote on who should receive the scholarship based on the person who best represents their spirit – something Jackson embodies.

Jackson knew Jordan from eighth grade in Mesquite, Texas, until his passing in 2020, and then bonded with Lowe during his first season with Utah prior to Lowe's tragic death in 2021. But out of that tragedy, Jackson took on the legacy of his friends and teammates, to be a better person, to work harder – and to smile.

He has played in 16 games at Utah at quarterback, running back and on special teams – showing his selfless attitude to all those that watch the Utes play on Saturdays. He officially made the switch to running back in week four of last season and never looked back, finishing the year with a team-high nine rushing touchdowns along with 78 carries for 531 yards.

In his final five games of the 2022 season, Jackson averaging 84.6 rushing yards and scored seven of his nine total rushing touchdowns. He had two 100-yard rushing games in that span, including his career-high 117 at Colorado and 105 in Utah's Pac-12 title win over USC.

Jackson has been integral in defining what 22 Forever means on and off the field, earning a spot on the 2023 Utah Football Leadership Council as he enters his sophomore season with the program.