Cameron Jackson Commits To Stanford Wrestling

In August, Cameron Jackson (12) announced that he will be committing to Stanford University wrestling and will attend the campus after high school. Stanford wrestling ranks within Division 1 of the NCAA, and Jackson’s journey of hard labor and pure determination pushed him to arrive at this incredible achievement

Jackson and his family have had good connections with the coaching staff at Stanford wrestling, and that has allowed Jackson recognition and opportunities to improve himself. Jackson would attend regional training centers and had the chance to practice with the team at Stanford. This background was crucial, as that allowed recruitment to take note of Jackson’s accolades in wrestling and his well-standing academics.

“I got a phone call and they were like, ‘hey, the floor is yours’… my mom was the only one who was there, and she was really happy. We did a little surprise on my dad, because he came home and I was telling my grandma on the phone loudly so he could hear, and he was like ‘Oh my gosh’,” Jackson said.

Jackson’s friends were impressed and supportive of the news. But, they were not shocked as they had high expectations for Jackson based on all of his previous accolades. Jackson expressed that getting to this point contained several setbacks, and it was never guaranteed.

“Cameron’s commitment to D1 wrestling, especially at Stanford, was well deserved and expected. I’m just happy to be able to work alongside him for apart of his journey and he’s a great friend of mine,” stated Jemario Muirhead (12).

Jackson’s father, Jay Jackson, played a great role in Jackson’s development, as he initiated Jackson’s interest in the sport and has been his coach throughout high school. Jackson’s adolescence consisted of him playing multiple sports like baseball and basketball, and eventually, him and his brother would be enrolled in wrestling classes on Friday at Koa fitness, taught by Jackson’s father.

“Me and my brother absolutely dreaded it; we would cry every time we had to go. The initial resistance is natural. No kid wants to go out there and fight someone. It hurts and it’s tiring,” Jackson expressed.

As time goes on, Jackson took more liking and satisfaction to the sport. His family would start a middle school program at Walters, where Jackson learn to dedicate himself to the sport and to his team. In high school, Jackson felt more camaraderie as he gained respect and bonds for his upperclassmen teammates.

Jackson takes his training seriously, with working during the off-season as well. He would go to different places to work on his skills, weight training, and cardio work. He would end up at tournaments to gain more experience, and he had the opportunity to go to Florida to train with the number two school in the country.

Some of Jackson’s favorite moments were winning freestyle in states, third place in at Junior Nationals in Fargo, ND, and winning first place at NCS championship in 2025. Winning NCS was extra meaningful, as Jackson reflected that there has been previous losses where he believed results could have been different, and he was able to use that fact as fuel to win this tournament.

“NCS was a tournament I’ve been to since I was a kid. In sophomore year, where I got upset, so I ended up legally slamming a kid and taking seven. It was a nightmare tournament. To come back from that and then win, it was pretty awesome,” Jackson explained.

Jackson credits a good portion of his success to his support system, “Wrestling is an individual sport, and you can pretend you’re a one-man army or whatever, but then you’re just gonna run yourself into the ground. Your people keep you in check; they push you, but also tell you when to take it easy.”

For his current season, Jackson planned on getting back to the unfinished business in the state tournament. He would also like to keep being a good leader in his team, by leading by example and demonstrating to his team what they are capable of. Then, after high school, he would wrestle with Stanford’s team, where he planned to work hard to get the right accolades and scholarships. He does not have a firm idea of an intended major yet, but he is leaning towards a business-related course of study.

When asked about advice to aspirational underclassmen, Jackson said, “Be yourself, take control of yourself, your training, your mindset, and take action. The sky is the limit.”

Photo from Cameron Jackson | Jackson's wrestling career ultimately led to Stanford.