Savannah Bananas' Jackson Olson joins 'Dancing with the Stars': 'I kind of manifested this whole thing'

Jackson Olson made nary concealed of his tendency to vie connected “Dancing with the Stars.”

He plays 2nd basal for the lively Savannah Bananas, truthful dancing is already portion of his occupation description.

He is besides a societal media influencer with 2.1 cardinal TikTok followers and hasn’t been shy astir utilizing the level to run for his imagination gig.

It worked.

On Tuesday, ABC announced Olson arsenic the latest contestant connected the upcoming Season 35 of “Dancing with the Stars,” nicknamed “DWTS.” He joins the already-announced Maura Higgins of “Traitors” and “Love Island” and Ciara Miller of “Summer House” arsenic competitors for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy, with much participants yet to beryllium revealed.

“I benignant of manifested this full happening and posted a mates TikToks past twelvemonth conscionable joking ... ne'er reasoning that it was a possibility,” Olson said during a “Good Morning America” interrogation connected Wednesday. “But erstwhile I posted it, I’m like, ‘Maybe determination is simply a possibility.’ I saw immoderate comments, I’m like, ‘OK, possibly this is possible.’”

A 28-year-old autochthonal of New Milford, Conn., Olson played 5 years of assemblage shot astatine Hartford and Stetson, batting .273 with 171 hits, 62 RBIs and 5 location runs successful 183 games. His dancing vocation didn’t truly commencement until helium started playing for the Bananas — whose offbeat and entertaining marque of shot incorporates dancing and different shenanigans — successful 2022.

Jackson Olson, front, is introduced aft the Savannah Bananas’ crippled against the Staten Island Ferryhawks connected Aug. 11, 2023, successful New York.

(Al Bello / Getty Images)

“When I was a kid, I ne'er thought immoderate of this was possible, adjacent playing for the Bananas oregon thing similar that,” Olson said. “I was a shy kid that ne'er danced, ne'er enactment myself retired there, ne'er entertained, and recovered a passionateness for it.”

Athletes person been a staple of “DWTS” since the amusement began successful 2005, with respective sports stars emerging arsenic champions. They see NFL players Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward, Donald Driver and Rashad Jennings; Olympians Apolo Anton Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, Meryl Davis, Laurie Hernandez and Adam Rippon; IndyCar operator Hélio Castroneves; and NBA subordinate Iman Shumpert.

Derek Hough, a six-time “DWTS” champion arsenic a nonrecreational dancer who is present a justice connected the show, whitethorn person fto the feline somewhat retired of the container successful March. During an quality astatine a Savannah Bananas crippled astatine Angel Stadium, Hough started a creation regular by tossing a miniature mirrorball to Olson, who shrugged toward the camera.

“Can’t hold to spot him commercialized location runs for bottommost leads and curveballs for cha-cha-cha,” Hough wrote connected Instagram. “Let’s conscionable anticipation helium doesn’t gaffe connected immoderate ballroom banana peels, though, if helium tin dodge a fastball, helium tin grip a quickstep!”