When Sam Jackson V made the decision to leave Cal and come to Auburn, he was changing more than just his school.

He came to Auburn no longer as a quarterback, but as a receiver, a position he hadn’t played since high school.

“It was 100% different,” Jackson said Tuesday. “It’s different levels to it, college and high school.”

Learning how to play receiver is harder than many would think, according to Jackson. He said learning the intangibles was the hardest part.

“I can run routes,” Jackson said. “Running routes, don’t get me wrong, it’s an art. But that’s something that you can work on all the time.”

Coming from Cal, Jackson should already be familiar to Auburn fans and players. He was Cal’s quarterback for the majority of its game against Auburn last season.

He threw 97 passes over the course of the season in 2023, completing 51 of them for 556 yards and five touchdowns.

Now at Auburn, Jackson says his experience playing quarterback has helped him as a wide receiver.

“Knowing what Payton is thinking,” Jackson said when asked what his biggest advantage is. “I know when I’m about to get the ball. I know when I’m not about to get the ball too.”

Jackson is expected to feature mainly in the slot this season, joining a talented Auburn receiving core.

He and Georgia State transfer Robert Lewis have been the main two receivers occupying the slot position so far in fall camp.

Lewis has more experience as a wide receiver, a trait that he and Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith bring to the room out of the transfer portal.

“Having guys like Rob and Dre in the room, two vets. They just, whenever they see me do something, even if it’s a good rep, they teach it. They coach me up on small things,” Jackson said.

Jackson also credited the coaching staff when talking about what helped make his transition easier.

“You got guys like Coach Davis, Coach Heath and Coach Mo in the room, who just got that passion for us, who really care for us. So every single rep, like it don’t matter if it’s the best rep I’ve had. It’s always something that I can do, something that I can work on, for sure,” Jackson said.

With all the talent Auburn has in its wide receiver room in 2024, competition for playing time is ripe. Despite the competition, though, Jackson says he more concerned about seeing everyone in the room succeed.

“You don’t really focus on, ‘Am I going to get the ball? Or am I going to start the season?’ It’s really just, you want to see everybody else in the room succeed,” Jackson said. “And I feel like, once you get that mindset, then things just start coming your way.”