Jackson Powell ’26 is a four-year Senior from Lanesboro, Massachusetts and co-captain of Varsity Football. He is the number one ranked wide receiver in New England for the class of 2026 according to Prep Redzone and was All-Founders second team last year. He enjoys hanging out with friends, golfing, fishing, and reading.

Head Coach Dempsey Quinn said, “Jackson has been a dedicated member of the football program for four years, earning the respect of his teammates and coaches through his hard work, leadership, and steady growth. As a Senior captain, he has set the tone with his commitment and competitive spirit, excelling on defense as a starting corner and contributing on offense at wide receiver. Beyond his play, Jackson has distinguished himself as a mentor to younger players, taking the time to guide, encourage, and hold them to the standards that make our program stronger. He has embraced and helped drive the culture shift of the past few years, leaning into the values of accountability, resilience, and adopting a ‘team first’ mentality. His development since his Prep year is a testament to his perseverance and love for the game.”

How did you start playing football?

My dad played in college, and ever since I was a little kid, I would always watch NFL games with him. I fell in love with the game.

I started playing tackle football in kindergarten for the first time, and I have played it every year since.

Later, I decided I wanted to switch to basketball and make that my full-time serious sport. Originally, I came to Hotchkiss to play basketball. But, after my first football and basketball seasons, I realized that I felt more passionate about football. I began to take the sport seriously after Prep year. Getting recruitment offers gave me the confidence that I made the right decision to switch.

Why did you choose to come to Hotchkiss?

I wanted to go to boarding school for a couple of reasons. At my public school, the academics were good. I could have stayed there and gone to a good school. But in terms of athletics, no one really gets recruited from there, and I have always been serious about going to a good school.

So I mentioned to my parents that I wanted to go to boarding school and repeat a year. My mom didn’t want me leaving the house too early, so she let me apply to one school.

Dempsey Quinn, the football coach and athletic director, and his father, who’s also coaching the team right now, was my dad’s football coach in high school. In the past, Dempsey and Brodie Quinn ’11 would be running around the sidelines, worrying about my dad’s games.

Since my dad knew the football coach at Hotchkiss, my mom was okay with me applying, because there were people that she knew and trusted.

How has playing football here shaped you?

It has taught me how to be a leader. Looking back at my Prep year, I’ve grown a lot, maturity-wise, on and off the field. And football has a lot to do with that. It has helped my discipline, decision-making, and how I handle my emotions.

Football also kept me physically active, encouraging me to keep going to the gym and staying locked-in in the offseason.

What’s a favorite memory from your football career?

Last year, during our second game of the year, we were playing Trinity Pawling at home under the lights. A ton of people showed up all dressed in black. We ended up winning that game, and I scored a touchdown, which was really fun surrounded by all the energy and people.

Afterwards, we went into the locker room, and we played “TGIF” by GloRilla. It doesn’t get any better than being together with the team celebrating, singing, and dancing.

What has your experience as captain been like so far?

This is my second year as a captain. Last year, I was the only Upper Mid captain, working alongside three PG captains and one Senior captain. Being captain holds me more accountable, because I know that at my position, I have a higher responsibility and standard that I have to uphold.

I want to set an example for the younger guys, because when I was a Prep, I looked up to the captains. I saw what they did and I know how much of an impact that can make.

This year, I’m captain with Max Mudry ’26 and Tyler Traggio ’26. It has been fun holding the position with two of my closest friends. Since we found out in the summer, we’ve been texting about how we can make this team a better environment.

So far, the team energy has been better this year than it has in all my four years. People are way more bought-in. The energy is way better in the weight room, on the field, and the team just feels a lot more cohesive.

What was your college recruitment process like?

After my first football season, I started getting some college attention. Coaches would come to campus and talk to Coach Quinn about me. Along with Coach believing in me, that really inspired me to take the next step.

Since then, I’ve put all my energy into getting recruited. Every summer I went to four or five camps of schools that I was talking to, so that I would have the opportunity to play in front of them.

I realized I had a chance to get recruited during my Lower Mid year. I began to get a lot more attention after my good season. Then that summer, I got my first offer from Brown.

Playing Ivy League sports has been my goal since I was in fifth grade. Going into my Upper Mid year with an Ivy League offer took a lot of pressure off my shoulders. It also inspired me to keep pushing for more. During Upper Mid year, I picked up offers from Dartmouth, Penn, Cornell, and Columbia.

I visited Columbia in March and fell in love with the coaching staff, the team atmosphere, and being in New York City, as well as the career opportunities afterwards. I was ready to commit on the spot that day.

What are some of your goals for college and beyond?

My goal with playing high school sports was to get to go to a school that I wouldn’t be able to get into without sports. And now that I’ve achieved that, the next step is focusing on getting a good job and balancing that with football and being the best player I can be.

What advice do you have for new and aspiring football players?

Soak in all the moments. With football, you only get eight or nine games a year. So you get 36 games, maximum, in your four years here. Some days you won’t want to go to practice, but you’re going to look back and realize that time does fly, and you’re going to want those moments back.

Fully buy in. In football, we don’t cut kids. So it doesn’t matter how good you are. If you go out and you try your best, you’re going to get so much better, as well as helping your teammates by giving them the energy and support they need.