Jamaal Anderson attended Parkview High School in Little Rock, Arkansas where he was a three-sport athlete as a member of the football, basketball, and track teams. He played receiver and defensive end on the football team. As a sophomore, Jamaal caught 33 passes for 660 yards and 3 touchdowns. As a junior he caught 25 passes for 530 yards and 4 touchdowns on his way to all-conference and Arkansas all-junior honors. He was named the team’s most outstanding receiver at the conclusion of the season. As a senior, Jamaal caught 30 passes for 430 yards and 6 touchdowns in just eight games, missing two contests due to a concussion. He had a record setting performance against Little Rock Central, finishing with 166 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. He finished his career with 85 receptions for 1,620 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns, all school records. He was recruited by Alabama, Colorado, Florida, and Ole Miss but he opted to stay close to home and attend the University of Arkansas instead. He served as a reserve defensive end and special teams player, finishing with 18 tackles as a true freshman in 2004. He was forced into the starting lineup when starter Anthony Brown went down for the season due to injury. He finished the season with 47 tackles, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble. Jamaal retuned to have an outstanding season as a junior, setting career highs in tackles (65) and sacks (13 ½). He was named first team all-SEC for his play as a junior. Jamaal still has another year of eligibility left; however, he has opted to leave school early to enter the 2007 NFL draft.

Jamaal Anderson has been starting at defensive end for the better part of the last two years at Arkansas. During that time he has proven to be a very durable player. He has a tremendous combination of size, strength, and athleticism for a defensive end. He has a quick first step, allowing him to beat most offensive lineman off the snap. He has the size and strength to overpower most opposing offensive tackles. He is an excellent edge pass rusher (13.5 sacks in 06) with good closing speed getting to the quarterback. He has the ability to chase the ballcarrier down from behind and he makes a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. Jamaal has less than two years of starting experience and is still a bit raw. He relies on his physical abilities too often and will have to improve his technique to be as successful at the professional level. Jamaal is already one of the better defensive ends in the draft and is sure to be selected in the top half of the first round; however, with good workouts he could become the top defensive end prospect in the draft due to his tremendous upside. Jamaal Anderson would’ve benefited from staying in college for his senior season, but as it is, he has a great chance to be a top 10 pick in the 2007 NFL draft.