CLEVELAND -- Between Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Myles Garrett and Tyrod Taylor, the Cleveland Browns possess no shortage of personalities to feature on the upcoming season of 'Hard Knocks.'
According to one HBO executive, however, the Browns' biggest star on the show might not come in the form of a player, but rather an embattled head coach.
"I actually think the breakout star is going to be Hue Jackson," Hard Knocks senior coordinating producer Ken Rodgers told Jimmy Traina on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast. "He might not be all that much of a breakout for people who know him. But I think there's plenty of people across the country who would say they don't really know who Hue Jackson is as a person or coach and certainly what they've heard about his record the last two years might lead you to believe you might tune into the show and be unimpressed.
"I think that will go away. I think if nothing else -- you can never guess what's going to happen on the football field -- but if nothing else, people will come away respecting him as a coach and as a man, regardless of whether the team makes huge strides or not."
With HBO cameras having been filming since the start of training camp, Jackson figures to be featured prominently in the show's first episode, which premieres on Tuesday night. Late last week, it was revealed that Jackson's mother had passed away after his brother had unexpectedly died earlier this summer.
Jackson, himself, is no stranger to the 'Hard Knocks' cameras, having gone through the experience when he was an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013. Now the head coach of a team that has accumulated a 1-31 record over the past two seasons, this time figures to be different -- although if Rodgers is to be believed, it appears Jackson is more than up for the challenge.
The first episode of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cleveland Browns" will debut on HBO at 10 p.m. ET.
