Pop quiz!

What do such NFL notables as Santonio Holmes, Jessie Hester, Louis Oliver and Andre Waters have in common with Marshall's newest football prospect?

They're all natives of Belle Glade, Fla.

Everyone knows about Holmes, a star wide receiver for the 2009 Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ditto for Hester (373 catches, 5,850 yards, 29 touchdowns for five NFL teams in 10 years); Oliver (eight years with the Dolphins and Bengals); and Waters (12 years with the Eagles and Cardinals).

In fact, Belle Glade can claim 10 NFL favorite sons, including Willie Beamon, John Ford, James Jackson, Robert Newkirk, Johnny Rutledge and Rhondy Weston.

Obviously, that Florida town has an impeccable reputation for producing quality athletes.

So, if a college is going after an impact recruit, what better place to find one than Belle Glade, Fla.?

And that's exactly what the Herd did.

The newest member of Marshall's Class of 2010 is cornerback Rashad Jackson.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound defensive back will be heading into his sophomore season at Joliet (Ill.) Junior College, after starring at Glades Central High School in Belle Glade.

Jackson reportedly gave Marshall a verbal commitment this month, choosing the Herd over Louisiana-Lafayette and Eastern Michigan.

Here is an evaluation of Jackson compiled by Scouts, Inc.

"Jackson is an undersized, feisty, extremely explosive cornerback with a salty demeanor in coverage. Although he does not possess ideal size, he plays big and likes to be physical.

"He has excellent athletic ability, speed and quickness. He has good defensive back techniques and fundamentals.

"He has good foot speed, change of direction skills and he does not lose speed in transition. He has a good burst out of his backpedal, he is fluid in his hips and he has good closing speed.

"He is strong in the upper body and he is very effective jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage. He has good hands, does not drop passes and he will come up with a big play.

"He is aggressive on run support, he will attack the line of scrimmage, he does a nice job shedding blockers and he is not afraid to mix it up. He could also line up over the slot as a nickel.

"The problem with Jackson is he is small in stature. He could be a liability when he has to cover a big receiver one-on-one. They will out-muscle him, they will shield him from the ball and he could get out-jumped. He is not a good match in the red zone.

"Overall, Jackson has the upside to develop into a solid cornerback at the college level. He is tough and fairly instinctive."

Not to mention the fact he's a Belle Glades, Fla., native. There are 22 Glades Central High alums playing college football.

The list includes four players at South Florida, three at Miami, two at Pittsburgh and one each at Florida, LSU, Purdue, Rutgers, UCF, Akron and West Virginia University.

Yes, WVU.

Senior wide receiver Alric Arnett also is a Glades Central product.

Besides that, Jackson will be joining former high school teammate Cartavious Baldwin when he joins the Herd. Baldwin is an incoming freshman safety.

What it amounts to is the reputation of Jackson's heritage proceeds him.

In the world of football there are three magic words that produce instant recognition.

Belle Glades, Fla.

Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.

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