Meet incoming Gophers quarterback Jackson Kollock from Laguna Beach, Calif.
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — A thick marine layer shrouded one of the most idyllic small towns in the U.S. through midday Friday. But the fogginess lifted late in the afternoon and the hamlet showed off its teal Pacific waters, craggy coves and sandy beaches.
Then, up the hill a half-mile from shore, a stunning sunset lingered over the ocean as future Gophers quarterback Jackson Kollock warmed up for Laguna Beach High School.
Later under the lights, the senior signal caller was at ease as he threw two short touchdown passes and displayed athleticism, rolling right and zipping a third touchdown pass from 16 yards out. He left before halftime in a 50-7 rout that took the Breakers to 7-0 for the first time since 1968.
This picturesque perch is almost exactly where Kollock wanted to be when he put together a vision board in the eighth grade. Win a high school championship: check. Set school records: check. Become a Division I QB: that will be checked when he signs with Minnesota in December and enrolls at the U in January.
But not everything has gone according to plan.
“It’s changed a little bit: I had USC on that (board),” Kollock shared with the Pioneer Press last week. “The dream has changed, but it’s definitely been working out pretty well.”
Kollock expressed excitement over the Gophers’ home upset of then-No. 11 Southern California on Oct. 5 and was looking forward to heading 50 miles north to be in the stands at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena as Minnesota went on to beat UCLA on Saturday.
Kollock’s vision board also holds goals of playing in the NFL as well as some vehicles he wanted to drive as a middle school kid.
“There was a GMC Denali truck and then, I think, I had a sports car on there, a cherry red Ferrari or something like that. I don’t think I would fit in that now,” the 6-foot-3, 220-pound QB said with a laugh.
Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck, nor offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh, were not in the stands in Laguna Beach on Friday night. But they are expected to watch Kollock this weekend in Aliso Viejo. The Gophers have three players from California in the 2025 recruiting class, a high-water mark in the Fleck era.
“I’ll be here next week. Ain’t that right, boss?” Fleck said in Athletics Director Mark Coyle’s direction at Rose Bowl Stadium on Saturday. “What’s that song? “California Dreamin.’ ” … It’s huge for us. We are a national recruiting base.”
Kollock is considered a four-star recruit based on 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is deemed the 33rd-ranked player in California and the top-ranked prospect in Minnesota’s 23-player class for next year.
Since becoming the starter midway through his sophomore season, Kollock has competed 60 percent of his passes for more than 6,600 yards with 87 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He has rushed for more than 700 yards and 19 TDs.
Laguna Beach’s Jackson Kollock runs the ball for a first down against St. Margaret during a season-opening game in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley / Orange County Register)
Harbaugh was on the front end of recruiting Kollock, coming to Laguna Beach to watch Jackson throw at 6:45 a.m. one morning. Breakers coach John Shanahan recalled Harbaugh being very impressed, saying ‘wow” and adding the Gophers would pursue Kollock.
Washington tight ends coach Nick Sheridan and Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb soon got involved. Miami, Texas A&M, Colorado, UCLA, California, Michigan State, Oregon State, Kentucky and others were in the mix.
Shanahan recalled the Washington coaches saying: “We see upside potential in him ‘as good as anybody in California.’ Verbatim, as good as anybody in California.”
Kollock committed to Washington in October 2023, but Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer left to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, Sheridan joined him with the Crimson Tide and Grubb would go to the Seattle Seahawks. With that turnover, Kollock re-opened his recruitment in January.
The Gophers never really left the picture. Kollock, who attended a camp at Minnesota before committing to Washington, was hearing from Harbaugh.
“(The Gophers) was always super high on his list,” said Teresa Kollock, Jackson’s mother. “When he initially made his decision, he just had that kind of a better relationship with the (Washington) coaches. But as time progressed, Coach Harbaugh and Fleck have just been awesome with him and (Jackson’s father) Ryan and I and our whole family.”
Jackson is the oldest of six children. His parents were athletes growing up in California and run Code Green Fitness, a personal training business in Laguna Beach. They also lead the NFL flag football youth league in town, which has grown from 200 participants to more than 300.
When Jackson was 12, his sister Catalina passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). She was 32 days old.
“It was very hard for him because he was super tight with her,” Teresa shared. “As soon as she was born, he would come home from school, wash his hands and the first thing was to hold her, change her diaper and take care of her. He is a very good big brother to all his siblings, but they definitely had a special little connection.”
Jackson was a standout baseball player at the time, a pitcher and center fielder. After Catalina’s passing, he lacked motivation to play. He would attend practices, but was mentally checked out. He lost his starting spot on the team.
“That was definitely the toughest thing I have ever been through in my life,” Jackson shared. “I definitely was in a really dark place after that. But ended up finding football through that. I like to say it kind of saved my life and gave me purpose.”
Jackson started playing tackle football and “it kind of became a tool for him to use to work through his grief,” Teresa said.
It now seems destined Kollock would play for Fleck, who’s “Row the Boat” mantra developed after he lost an infant son, Colt, to a heart condition in 2011. Unfortunately, Kollock has his own story of putting his oar back in the water.
“I want to give back to the game what it gave for me,” Kollock said. “It gave me purpose. It gave me a way to connect. It gave me a way to get out my emotions. So it’s been it means a lot to me, and I give everything to it.”
Kollock has helped coach his sisters’ teams in flag football and has officiated other games in between. He can be seen tossing a mini football around with his youngest brother after varsity games.
Kollock started as a a defensive end. But that didn’t last long. He soon got to play QB.
In middle school, he went to The Togethership — a sports academy in Orange County. At an event there, he watched and caught some passes from the likes of NFL quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Jarrett Stidham, Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen.
That experience imprinted Kollock. “The presence that they had; that was a big thing for me,” he said.
Kollock started high school at Santa Margarita Catholic in the famed Trinity League, which is considered one of the best football conferences in the U.S. It includes powerhouse programs Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.
Kollock didn’t play varsity as a freshman and transferred to Laguna Beach for his sophomore year, the reason being the nearly hour commute was hard on his parents while running a small business and caring for five children.
At Laguna Beach, Kollock sat out the first half of the season due to transfer rules and then in 2022 helped win the school’s first California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championship since 1946. This season, the Breakers have suffered multiple injuries along the offensive line and have a young receiving corps, forcing Kollock to run the ball more. He doesn’t mind.
“Especially in Orange County, we get a lot of prima donna quarterbacks,” said Shanahan. “(Kollock is) as kind to work with as I’ve ever been around.”
In a world billowing with quarterback coaches and personal trainers working with nearly every prospect, Shanahan doesn’t see Kollock as “overcooked.”
“He’s not a finished product,” the longtime coach said. “He’s got a lot left to grow.”
Kollock will be leaving the beautiful enclave of Laguna Beach, where the weather is almost always blissful — outside of a marine layer here or there — for snowy Minneapolis in January.
“I’m just excited for the change,” Kollock said. “I’ve been here my whole life, so looking forward to experience something different. And just excited to take on any challenges that go along the way. It’s a whole new phase of my life that I get to be going into and I get to do what I love.”
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Meet incoming Gophers quarterback Jackson Kollock from Laguna Beach, Calif.
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — A thick marine layer shrouded one of the most idyllic small towns in the U.S. through midday Friday. But the fogginess lifted late in the afternoon and the hamlet showed off its teal Pacific waters, craggy coves and sandy beaches.
Then, up the hill a half-mile from shore, a stunning sunset lingered over the ocean as future Gophers quarterback Jackson Kollock warmed up for Laguna Beach High School.
Later under the lights, the senior signal caller was at ease as he threw two short touchdown passes and displayed athleticism, rolling right and zipping a third touchdown pass from 16 yards out. He left before halftime in a 50-7 rout that took the Breakers to 7-0 for the first time since 1968.
This picturesque perch is almost exactly where Kollock wanted to be when he put together a vision board in the eighth grade. Win a high school championship: check. Set school records: check. Become a Division I QB: that will be checked when he signs with Minnesota in December and enrolls at the U in January.
But not everything has gone according to plan.
“It’s changed a little bit: I had USC on that (board),” Kollock shared with the Pioneer Press last week. “The dream has changed, but it’s definitely been working out pretty well.”
Kollock expressed excitement over the Gophers’ home upset of then-No. 11 Southern California on Oct. 5 and was looking forward to heading 50 miles north to be in the stands at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena as Minnesota went on to beat UCLA on Saturday.
Kollock’s vision board also holds goals of playing in the NFL as well as some vehicles he wanted to drive as a middle school kid.
“There was a GMC Denali truck and then, I think, I had a sports car on there, a cherry red Ferrari or something like that. I don’t think I would fit in that now,” the 6-foot-3, 220-pound QB said with a laugh.
Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck, nor offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh, were not in the stands in Laguna Beach on Friday night. But they are expected to watch Kollock this weekend in Aliso Viejo. The Gophers have three players from California in the 2025 recruiting class, a high-water mark in the Fleck era.
“I’ll be here next week. Ain’t that right, boss?” Fleck said in Athletics Director Mark Coyle’s direction at Rose Bowl Stadium on Saturday. “What’s that song? “California Dreamin.’ ” … It’s huge for us. We are a national recruiting base.”
Kollock is considered a four-star recruit based on 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is deemed the 33rd-ranked player in California and the top-ranked prospect in Minnesota’s 23-player class for next year.
Since becoming the starter midway through his sophomore season, Kollock has competed 60 percent of his passes for more than 6,600 yards with 87 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He has rushed for more than 700 yards and 19 TDs.
Laguna Beach’s Jackson Kollock runs the ball for a first down against St. Margaret during a season-opening game in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley / Orange County Register)
Harbaugh was on the front end of recruiting Kollock, coming to Laguna Beach to watch Jackson throw at 6:45 a.m. one morning. Breakers coach John Shanahan recalled Harbaugh being very impressed, saying ‘wow” and adding the Gophers would pursue Kollock.
Washington tight ends coach Nick Sheridan and Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb soon got involved. Miami, Texas A&M, Colorado, UCLA, California, Michigan State, Oregon State, Kentucky and others were in the mix.
Shanahan recalled the Washington coaches saying: “We see upside potential in him ‘as good as anybody in California.’ Verbatim, as good as anybody in California.”
Kollock committed to Washington in October 2023, but Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer left to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, Sheridan joined him with the Crimson Tide and Grubb would go to the Seattle Seahawks. With that turnover, Kollock re-opened his recruitment in January.
The Gophers never really left the picture. Kollock, who attended a camp at Minnesota before committing to Washington, was hearing from Harbaugh.
“(The Gophers) was always super high on his list,” said Teresa Kollock, Jackson’s mother. “When he initially made his decision, he just had that kind of a better relationship with the (Washington) coaches. But as time progressed, Coach Harbaugh and Fleck have just been awesome with him and (Jackson’s father) Ryan and I and our whole family.”
Jackson is the oldest of six children. His parents were athletes growing up in California and run Code Green Fitness, a personal training business in Laguna Beach. They also lead the NFL flag football youth league in town, which has grown from 200 participants to more than 300.
When Jackson was 12, his sister Catalina passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). She was 32 days old.
“It was very hard for him because he was super tight with her,” Teresa shared. “As soon as she was born, he would come home from school, wash his hands and the first thing was to hold her, change her diaper and take care of her. He is a very good big brother to all his siblings, but they definitely had a special little connection.”
Jackson was a standout baseball player at the time, a pitcher and center fielder. After Catalina’s passing, he lacked motivation to play. He would attend practices, but was mentally checked out. He lost his starting spot on the team.
“That was definitely the toughest thing I have ever been through in my life,” Jackson shared. “I definitely was in a really dark place after that. But ended up finding football through that. I like to say it kind of saved my life and gave me purpose.”
Jackson started playing tackle football and “it kind of became a tool for him to use to work through his grief,” Teresa said.
It now seems destined Kollock would play for Fleck, who’s “Row the Boat” mantra developed after he lost an infant son, Colt, to a heart condition in 2011. Unfortunately, Kollock has his own story of putting his oar back in the water.
“I want to give back to the game what it gave for me,” Kollock said. “It gave me purpose. It gave me a way to connect. It gave me a way to get out my emotions. So it’s been it means a lot to me, and I give everything to it.”
Kollock has helped coach his sisters’ teams in flag football and has officiated other games in between. He can be seen tossing a mini football around with his youngest brother after varsity games.
Kollock started as a a defensive end. But that didn’t last long. He soon got to play QB.
In middle school, he went to The Togethership — a sports academy in Orange County. At an event there, he watched and caught some passes from the likes of NFL quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Jarrett Stidham, Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen.
That experience imprinted Kollock. “The presence that they had; that was a big thing for me,” he said.
Kollock started high school at Santa Margarita Catholic in the famed Trinity League, which is considered one of the best football conferences in the U.S. It includes powerhouse programs Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.
Kollock didn’t play varsity as a freshman and transferred to Laguna Beach for his sophomore year, the reason being the nearly hour commute was hard on his parents while running a small business and caring for five children.
At Laguna Beach, Kollock sat out the first half of the season due to transfer rules and then in 2022 helped win the school’s first California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championship since 1946. This season, the Breakers have suffered multiple injuries along the offensive line and have a young receiving corps, forcing Kollock to run the ball more. He doesn’t mind.
“Especially in Orange County, we get a lot of prima donna quarterbacks,” said Shanahan. “(Kollock is) as kind to work with as I’ve ever been around.”
In a world billowing with quarterback coaches and personal trainers working with nearly every prospect, Shanahan doesn’t see Kollock as “overcooked.”
“He’s not a finished product,” the longtime coach said. “He’s got a lot left to grow.”
Kollock will be leaving the beautiful enclave of Laguna Beach, where the weather is almost always blissful — outside of a marine layer here or there — for snowy Minneapolis in January.
“I’m just excited for the change,” Kollock said. “I’ve been here my whole life, so looking forward to experience something different. And just excited to take on any challenges that go along the way. It’s a whole new phase of my life that I get to be going into and I get to do what I love.”
Related Articles
Gophers football: How Max Brosmer has executed game-winning drives to beat USC and UCLA
Gophers stake comeback to beat UCLA 21-17 at Rose Bowl Stadium
Gophers football: UCLA breaks Big Ten policy on availability reports
Pasadena covered in maroon and gold for Gophers’ return to Rose Bowl
Gophers defense appears healthier to play UCLA on Saturday
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Meet incoming Gophers quarterback Jackson Kollock from Laguna Beach, Calif.
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — A thick marine layer shrouded one of the most idyllic small towns in the U.S. through midday Friday. But the fogginess lifted late in the afternoon and the hamlet showed off its teal Pacific waters, craggy coves and sandy beaches.
Then, up the hill a half-mile from shore, a stunning sunset lingered over the ocean as future Gophers quarterback Jackson Kollock warmed up for Laguna Beach High School.
Later under the lights, the senior signal caller was at ease as he threw two short touchdown passes and displayed athleticism, rolling right and zipping a third touchdown pass from 16 yards out. He left before halftime in a 50-7 rout that took the Breakers to 7-0 for the first time since 1968.
This picturesque perch is almost exactly where Kollock wanted to be when he put together a vision board in the eighth grade. Win a high school championship: check. Set school records: check. Become a Division I QB: that will be checked when he signs with Minnesota in December and enrolls at the U in January.
But not everything has gone according to plan.
“It’s changed a little bit: I had USC on that (board),” Kollock shared with the Pioneer Press last week. “The dream has changed, but it’s definitely been working out pretty well.”
Kollock expressed excitement over the Gophers’ home upset of then-No. 11 Southern California on Oct. 5 and was looking forward to heading 50 miles north to be in the stands at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena as Minnesota went on to beat UCLA on Saturday.
Kollock’s vision board also holds goals of playing in the NFL as well as some vehicles he wanted to drive as a middle school kid.
“There was a GMC Denali truck and then, I think, I had a sports car on there, a cherry red Ferrari or something like that. I don’t think I would fit in that now,” the 6-foot-3, 220-pound QB said with a laugh.
Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck, nor offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh, were not in the stands in Laguna Beach on Friday night. But they are expected to watch Kollock this weekend in Aliso Viejo. The Gophers have three players from California in the 2025 recruiting class, a high-water mark in the Fleck era.
“I’ll be here next week. Ain’t that right, boss?” Fleck said in Athletics Director Mark Coyle’s direction at Rose Bowl Stadium on Saturday. “What’s that song? “California Dreamin.’ ” … It’s huge for us. We are a national recruiting base.”
Kollock is considered a four-star recruit based on 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is deemed the 33rd-ranked player in California and the top-ranked prospect in Minnesota’s 23-player class for next year.
Since becoming the starter midway through his sophomore season, Kollock has competed 60 percent of his passes for more than 6,600 yards with 87 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He has rushed for more than 700 yards and 19 TDs.
Laguna Beach’s Jackson Kollock runs the ball for a first down against St. Margaret during a season-opening game in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley / Orange County Register)
Harbaugh was on the front end of recruiting Kollock, coming to Laguna Beach to watch Jackson throw at 6:45 a.m. one morning. Breakers coach John Shanahan recalled Harbaugh being very impressed, saying ‘wow” and adding the Gophers would pursue Kollock.
Washington tight ends coach Nick Sheridan and Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb soon got involved. Miami, Texas A&M, Colorado, UCLA, California, Michigan State, Oregon State, Kentucky and others were in the mix.
Shanahan recalled the Washington coaches saying: “We see upside potential in him ‘as good as anybody in California.’ Verbatim, as good as anybody in California.”
Kollock committed to Washington in October 2023, but Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer left to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, Sheridan joined him with the Crimson Tide and Grubb would go to the Seattle Seahawks. With that turnover, Kollock re-opened his recruitment in January.
The Gophers never really left the picture. Kollock, who attended a camp at Minnesota before committing to Washington, was hearing from Harbaugh.
“(The Gophers) was always super high on his list,” said Teresa Kollock, Jackson’s mother. “When he initially made his decision, he just had that kind of a better relationship with the (Washington) coaches. But as time progressed, Coach Harbaugh and Fleck have just been awesome with him and (Jackson’s father) Ryan and I and our whole family.”
Jackson is the oldest of six children. His parents were athletes growing up in California and run Code Green Fitness, a personal training business in Laguna Beach. They also lead the NFL flag football youth league in town, which has grown from 200 participants to more than 300.
When Jackson was 12, his sister Catalina passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). She was 32 days old.
“It was very hard for him because he was super tight with her,” Teresa shared. “As soon as she was born, he would come home from school, wash his hands and the first thing was to hold her, change her diaper and take care of her. He is a very good big brother to all his siblings, but they definitely had a special little connection.”
Jackson was a standout baseball player at the time, a pitcher and center fielder. After Catalina’s passing, he lacked motivation to play. He would attend practices, but was mentally checked out. He lost his starting spot on the team.
“That was definitely the toughest thing I have ever been through in my life,” Jackson shared. “I definitely was in a really dark place after that. But ended up finding football through that. I like to say it kind of saved my life and gave me purpose.”
Jackson started playing tackle football and “it kind of became a tool for him to use to work through his grief,” Teresa said.
It now seems destined Kollock would play for Fleck, who’s “Row the Boat” mantra developed after he lost an infant son, Colt, to a heart condition in 2011. Unfortunately, Kollock has his own story of putting his oar back in the water.
“I want to give back to the game what it gave for me,” Kollock said. “It gave me purpose. It gave me a way to connect. It gave me a way to get out my emotions. So it’s been it means a lot to me, and I give everything to it.”
Kollock has helped coach his sisters’ teams in flag football and has officiated other games in between. He can be seen tossing a mini football around with his youngest brother after varsity games.
Kollock started as a a defensive end. But that didn’t last long. He soon got to play QB.
In middle school, he went to The Togethership — a sports academy in Orange County. At an event there, he watched and caught some passes from the likes of NFL quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Jarrett Stidham, Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen.
That experience imprinted Kollock. “The presence that they had; that was a big thing for me,” he said.
Kollock started high school at Santa Margarita Catholic in the famed Trinity League, which is considered one of the best football conferences in the U.S. It includes powerhouse programs Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.
Kollock didn’t play varsity as a freshman and transferred to Laguna Beach for his sophomore year, the reason being the nearly hour commute was hard on his parents while running a small business and caring for five children.
At Laguna Beach, Kollock sat out the first half of the season due to transfer rules and then in 2022 helped win the school’s first California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championship since 1946. This season, the Breakers have suffered multiple injuries along the offensive line and have a young receiving corps, forcing Kollock to run the ball more. He doesn’t mind.
“Especially in Orange County, we get a lot of prima donna quarterbacks,” said Shanahan. “(Kollock is) as kind to work with as I’ve ever been around.”
In a world billowing with quarterback coaches and personal trainers working with nearly every prospect, Shanahan doesn’t see Kollock as “overcooked.”
“He’s not a finished product,” the longtime coach said. “He’s got a lot left to grow.”
Kollock will be leaving the beautiful enclave of Laguna Beach, where the weather is almost always blissful — outside of a marine layer here or there — for snowy Minneapolis in January.
“I’m just excited for the change,” Kollock said. “I’ve been here my whole life, so looking forward to experience something different. And just excited to take on any challenges that go along the way. It’s a whole new phase of my life that I get to be going into and I get to do what I love.”
Related Articles
Gophers football: How Max Brosmer has executed game-winning drives to beat USC and UCLA
Gophers stake comeback to beat UCLA 21-17 at Rose Bowl Stadium
Gophers football: UCLA breaks Big Ten policy on availability reports
Pasadena covered in maroon and gold for Gophers’ return to Rose Bowl
Gophers defense appears healthier to play UCLA on Saturday
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