When he first saw former Cal quarterback Sam Jackson V’s name in the transfer portal, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze wasn’t going to pursue him. Jackson had already transferred to Cal from TCU and is not a graduate, meaning under previous NCAA rules Jackson would have to sit out next season.

But a December court decision changed things.

The decision made by a West Virginia judge would allow two-time transfers immediate eligibility during a 14-day restraining order. With its hands seemingly tied, the NCAA decided to then extend the 14 days through the 2024 football season, allowing two-time transfers in any sport to make an immediate move to a new school.

That decision meant a player like Jackson was suddenly available to play next fall. With that newfound NCAA-granted flexibility, Freeze went after Jackson.

His commitment and signing with Auburn was announced Wednesday night. Freeze has previously said he plans to roll with returning quarterback Payton Thorne as his top guy for the 2024 season, and has not shown any initiative to pursue a quarterback out of the transfer portal.

So the former quarterback was signed as a wide receiver.

But why make this move at all?

“It’s a risk probably, but I think he’s one heck of an athlete,” Freeze said during a Friday press conference in Nashville before the Music City Bowl on Saturday. “I watched all of his high school receiving stuff and he caught all those balls from Payton Thorne. There’s chemistry there.”

Jackson has two immediate Auburn connections. First, he played against Auburn in the second game of the 2023 season and threw for 129 yards and two interceptions against Auburn’s defense in Berkeley. Auburn won the game 14-10 on Sept. 9.

Second, he was Thorne’s high school teammate at Naperville Central in Naperville, Illinois. Jackson was a receiver for the then-Michigan State-bound quarterback in their one season together. Jackson caught 50 passes for 847 yards and 14 touchdowns

But Jackson hasn’t played wide receiver since and has no college experience at wide receiver.

Freeze believes he saw enough of an athlete during Auburn’s game against Cal to translate Jackson into a pass catcher. The 5-foot-11 now-receiver is the type of player Freeze just wants to get the ball to somehow.

“As you watch even the NFL now, I think they’re starting to do more things, like (Maryland head coach Mike) Locksley and I do, with these receivers coming into the backfield and doing different things,” Freeze said. “(Jackson), to me, gives me a lot of flexibility in that regard to be able to do that.”

Despite his immediate eligibility due to the new NCAA protocol, Jackson won’t play in the Music City Bowl. He will, however, enter a wide receiver room with a significant amount of turnover and uncertainty.

Auburn signed its best wide receiver class in program history during December’s early signing period with five-star recruits Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson as well as four-stars Malcolm Simmons and Bryce Cain. Auburn also added Georgia State wide receiver Robert Lewis out of the transfer portal. Auburn will only return four receivers from this year’s team after losing four receivers to the portal.

“Even though I hadn’t seen a lot of college reps at receiver, I’ve seen a lot of practice and his high school stuff, and I just think an athlete like that gives us some flexibility,” Freeze said.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]