Jones was originally committed to new LB coach Kevin Sherrer as DC for South Alabama. But then Todd Grantham left for Louisville, offered the 6'1 or so, 200 pound DB, and Bobby Petrino had his first commitment since returning to the Cardinals. Of course, Grantham's departure created an opening here, and when the new staff wanted some DBs, Sherrer knew just the man he wanted to go get. Sorry Todd, we're not sorry.
As a junior, Jones played for Heritage HS in Palm Bay, FL helping at WR, DB, and returning kicks.
As a senior, he moves to nearby Merritt Island to play, but again seemed to fly under the radar as most ranked him either 2 or 3 stars. But as you can see below, it seems like Jones added a little height while keeping the speed, agility, and ball skills (you get a good taste of those ball skills on the very first highlight).
Watching those clips, it's not hard to see why Sherrer went back after his boy when he had the chance. At 6'1, Jones has tremendous size for a CB. But he doesn't lack for fluid movement or speed in getting that size. We see excellent ball skills, with good hands, the instincts to get the ball at it's highest point possible, and once he has his hands on the ball, he knows what he's doing. Not the best tackler, but good enough for a CB, he should be one to watch going forward. The young man makes plays on special teams, and while probably not a return man, I'd suspect he can help on coverage units.
And this is our new staff's guy. They liked him before, still like him, and made him a specific target on arrival to go get. You'll probably hear Tim Jennings name invoked a few times as a lightly regarded DB recruit who got a late offer, and while physically they couldn't be further apart, both just look like excellent, natural football players. While it's extremely optimistic, a Jennings-like career just might be what Jones has too.