Syracuse Basketball: 5-star contacted for $1M NIL is All-America contender

Ian Jackson, a five-star guard from New York City who is a significant contender for the No. 1 national ranking in the 2024 class and received a scholarship offer from Syracuse basketball this past April, is receiving heavy preseason All-America buzz.

High schools, prep schools and independent basketball academies around the country are starting to commence their 2022-23 campaigns, and the 6-foot-6 Jackson is a star junior for an excellent NYC team.

Jackson attends Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y., and one of his teammates there is 2024 four-star shooting guard Elijah Moore. The 6-foot-4 Moore, also offered by the Orange in April, took an official visit to the Hill last month and is a high-priority target for the ‘Cuse in this cycle.

Jackson, given his long list of top-flight suitors, is probably a long shot to end up choosing the Orange. But the preseason All-American has also been contacted regarding a potentially lucrative name, image and likeness deal from businessman Adam Weitsman, so perhaps the ‘Cuse has a shot.

Five-star Ian Jackson, who has a Syracuse basketball offer, is one of the country’s top prospects.

Earlier this week, MaxPreps national basketball editor Jordan Divens published a piece where he detailed his preseason All-America squads ahead of the 2022-23 stanza.

Divens has three teams and an honorable-mention category, and he included a total of 20 high-school players in his article. Jackson is on the preseason All-America first team.

As we’ve detailed in past columns, Jackson averaged around 20 points per game in the 2021-22 term, and he played a huge role in Cardinal Hayes winning a New York state Catholic High School Athletic Association title.

For his efforts, Jackson was named the MaxPreps national sophomore of the year in 2021-22.

Other members of the preseason All-America first squad in 2022-23 include 2023 five-star wing Justin Edwards, who had a ‘Cuse offer and has committed to Kentucky, and 2023 five-star guard D.J. Wagner, who also owns an Orange offer but is speculated to be a Kentucky lean.

The preseason All-America second team features 2023 five-star guard/wing Matas Buzelis, a former Syracuse basketball target who has committed to the NBA’s G League.

Among those on the third squad are 2023 five-star center Aaron Bradshaw, who held Orange interest but is committed to Kentucky, and 2023 five-star guard Simeon Wilcher, a former ‘Cuse recruit who is committed to North Carolina.

Getting back to Jackson, he has taken official visits to Kentucky, Oregon and LSU, with another official visit planned to North Carolina in the near future.

Weitsman, a top Syracuse Orange booster, has said that he plans to offer $1 million annually to one five-star football player and one five-star basketball player to represent his companies. He’s also working on NIL options for a high-school women’s basketball player.

Last week, Weitsman told me that one of the men’s basketball recruits whom he’s recently reached out to regarding NIL opportunities is Jackson.

Weitsman, who has spoken to someone in Jackson’s camp, will not be discussing Syracuse basketball or any other college team with potential NIL recipients, because endorsement income and other NIL deals can’t be used as pay-for-play – that is, to induce a high-school player to commit to a particular college or university.