DeAira Jackson

DeAira Jackson
Jackson with the Utah Royals in 2026
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-03-23) March 23, 2002
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Utah Royals
Number 77
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 Cal State Fullerton Titans 16 (0)
2023–2024 Grand Canyon Antelopes 43 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2025 Orlando Pride 0 (0)
2025– Utah Royals 0 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

DeAira "DJ" Jackson (born March 23, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Utah Royals of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Cal State Fullerton Titans and the Grand Canyon Antelopes.

Early life

Jackson grew up in Fontana, California, one of two daughters born to James Jackson and Regena Weatherford.[1] She attended Rancho Cucamonga High School, where she played soccer, track and field as a hurdler, and football as a kicker for one season.[1][2]

College career

Jackson enrolled in California State University, Fullerton, in 2020 after graduating high school early, but her first season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] She went on to play in 16 games, starting 10 of them, over the next two seasons with the Fullerton Titans.[1] She was named to the Big West Conference all-freshman team in 2021.[1] She also began training in rugby sevens after winning Next Olympic Hopeful, a TV show organized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.[2]

Jackson then transferred to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2023, becoming the primary keeper for the Antelopes soccer team.[3] In her debut season, she started all 23 games and kept 7 clean sheets (plus 3 combined shutouts), earning second-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors.[3] She helped them win the WAC tournament and was named to the all-tournament team.[3] She made 5 saves in a 1–0 defeat to USC in the NCAA tournament, allowing only a goal from the penalty spot.[3] In her senior season in 2024, she started all 20 games and kept 9 clean sheets, being named first-team All-WAC and the WAC Goalkeeper of the Year.[3]

Club career

Jackson joined the Orlando Pride as a non-roster trialist during the 2025 preseason.[4] On February 12, the Pride announced the signing of Jackson on a short-term contract that lasted two and a half months.[5]

On July 11, 2025, the Utah Royals announced that the club had signed Jackson for the remainder of the season,[6] becoming the third-string goalkeeper behind Mandy McGlynn and Mia Justus.[7] On December 10, she renewed with the Royals on a one-year salary cap exempt deal.[8]

Honors and awards

Grand Canyon Antelopes

Individual

  • WAC Goalkeeper of the Year: 2024
  • First-team All-WAC: 2024
  • Second-team All-WAC: 2023
  • Big West all-freshman team: 2021

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "DeAira Jackson". Cal State Fullerton Titans. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (May 6, 2020). "'Next Olympic Hopeful' DeAira Jackson eager to make an impact with rugby sevens". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "DeAira Jackson". Grand Canyon Antelopes. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Orlando Pride Announces 2025 Preseason Roster". Orlando Pride. January 20, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Orlando Pride Signs midfielder Aryssa Mahrt and goalkeeper DeAira Jackson to short-term contracts". Orlando Pride. February 12, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
    Orlando Pride [@orlpride]; (April 29, 2025). "The short term contract agreement between goalkeeper @djthegk & the Orlando Pride has come to an end". Retrieved May 1, 2025 – via Instagram.
  6. ↑ "Utah Royals FC Welcomes Goalkeeper DeAira Jackson". Utah Royals. July 11, 2025. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  7. ↑ "2025 Utah Royals Stats". FBref.com. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  8. ↑ "URFC Signs Goalkeeper DeAira Jackson & Midfielder Aria Nagai To Salary Cap-Exempt Contracts For 2026 NWSL Season". Utah Royals. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
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