The wait is over. Marcus Jackson of West Orange High School is the 2025-26 Gatorade National Boys Player of the Year. The senior UCLA commit led admirably from center back as the Mountaineers finished 22-2 and won their first New Jersey Group 4 state championship in 12 years.

What set Jackson apart was his attacking prowess as a two-way force. While anchoring a defense that conceded just 14, the former ODP National Team captain scored 18 and added five assists. Whether it was his rocket free kicks, a last-minute game-winning penalty, dribbling forward from the backline, or using his 6-foot-4 frame for a towering header, Jackson redefined what is possible from the center back position. 

In talking to TopDrawerSoccer about his award-winning season, Jackson credited a fairly recent position change for his versatile skill set. “Two to three years ago, I was playing striker, and I recently switched to center back,” the senior said before adding, “So my passing, my dribbling, my vision are all because I was playing striker, winger, and CDM [center defensive midfield] at times as well.”

Jackson, the school’s second Gatorade National Player of the Year after Brayan Martinez in 2007, also spoke to the importance of setting an example for the next generation. 

“When they [West Orange] won the 2013 state championship, I was there as a six-year-old,” he said. “Winning the individual awards will always be really cool, but the state championship shows a lot of kids in the area that you can go to high school, go to public school, enjoy, and play.”

That sense of community is why the UCLA commit chose to play four years of prep soccer in an era when many of the best prospects minimize their involvement. 

“The family aspect of it is why I love high school soccer, and I really like it more than club. The number of memories you build from it, and the relationships and friends you get from it, are tremendous. There is nothing like high school sports.”

With his storied youth soccer career complete, the UCLA commit will now take on the NCAA DI level starting this fall.

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