Tag: Jeff Jones

January Coach Visits

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Malik McDowell (#67) is Michigan’s top target remaining in the 2014 class

Since January is such a popular month for college coaches to hit the road and recruit, here’s a list of players who are expecting or have received visits this month.

2014
Ian Bunting – TE – Hinsdale (IL) Central*
Noah Furbush – LB – Kenton (OH) Kenton*
Jeff Jones – RB – Minneapolis (MN) Washburn*
Marlon Mack – RB – Sarasota (FL) Booker*
Malik McDowell – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield*
Jared Wangler – LB – Warren (MI) De La Salle*
Chase Winovich – LB – Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson*

2015
Blake Barnett – QB – Corona (CA) Santiago*
Jake Browning – QB – Folsom (CA) Folsom
Nick Johns – QB – Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Kyle Kearns – QB – Pleasanton (CA) Foothill
Brian Lewerke – QB – Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle
Alex Malzone – QB – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice
Josh Rosen – QB – Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco*
David Sills – QB – Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy*
Jarrett Stidham – QB – Stephenville (TX) Stephenville*
Ricky Town – QB – Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure
Ryan Willis – QB – Mission (KS) Bishop Miege
Brandon Wimbush – QB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Andrew Dowell – RB – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Johnny Frasier – RB – Princeton (NC) Princeton*
Damien Harris – RB – Berea (KY) Madison Southern*
Soso Jamabo – RB – Plano (TX) West*
Ronald Jones II – RB – McKinney (TX) North
Kentrail Moran – RB – O’Fallon (KY) O’Fallon
Jacques Patrick – RB – Orlando (FL) Timber Ridge*
Mike Weber – RB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech*
George Campbell – WR – Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake*
Irvin Charles – WR – Haddonfield (NJ) Paul VI
Brian Cole – WR – Saginaw (MI) Heritage*
David Dowell – WR – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Tyron Johnson – WR – New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton*
Christian Kirk – WR – Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro*
Kai Locksley – WR – Baltimore (MD) Gilman
Damarkus Lodge – WR – Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill*
Juval Mollette – WR – Randleman (NC) Randleman*
Stanley Norman – WR – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra
Kemah Siverand – WR – Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge
Bowman Archibald – TE – Dade City (FL) Pasco
Chris Clark – TE – Avon (CT) Old Farms
Austin Ervin – TE – St. Johns (MI) St. Johns
Jackson Harrison – TE – Columbia (TN) Central
Tyler Petite – TE – Moraga (CA) Campolindo
Anthony Rush – TE – Cary (NC) Cary
Jalen Wilkerson – TE – Douglas (GA) Coffee
Matthew Burrell, Jr. – OT – Woodbridge (VA) Hylton
Trevor Elbert – OT – Rockwall (TX) Heath
Jake Fruhmorgen – OT – Tampa (FL) Plant*
Mitch Hyatt – OT – Suwanee (GA) North Gwinnett*
Sterling Jenkins – OT – Pittsburgh (PA) Baldwin*
Harrison Moon – OT – Chattanooga (TN) Signal Mountain
Chuma Edoga – OG – Powder Springs (GA) McEachern
Richie Petitbon – OG – Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Jon Runyan, Jr. – OG – Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s Prep*
Jashon Cornell – DE – St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham*
Jalen Dalton – DE – Clemmons (NC) West Forsyth
Landis Durham – DE – Plano (TX) East
Clelin Ferrell – DE – Richmond (VA) Benedictine
Keisean Lucier-South – DE – Orange (CA) Lutheran*
Charles Omenihu – DE – Rowlett (TX) Rowlett
Cassius Peat – DE – Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol
Darian Roseboro – DE – Lincolnton (NC) Lincolnton*
Darrion Daniels – DT – Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne
Rasheem Greene – DT – Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Daylon Mack – DT – Gladewater (TX) Gladewater
Tim Settle – DT – Manassas (VA) Stonewall Jackson*
Elijah Taylor – DT – Cincinnati (OH) Moeller
Shy Tuttle – DT – Lexington (NC) North Davidson*
Christian Wilkins – DT – Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Jerome Baker – LB – Cleveland (OH) Benedictine*
Josh Barajas – LB – Merrillville (IN) Andrean
Asmar Bilal – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis
Wyatt Cook – LB – Owings Mills (MD) McDonogh
Jordan Fox – LB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Justin Hilliard – LB – Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier*
Malik Jefferson – LB – Mesquite (TX) Poteet*
John Houston – LB – Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central
Arthur McGinnis – LB – New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton
Anthony McKee – LB – Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge
Joshua McMillon – LB – Memphis (TN) Whitehaven*
Cameron Smith – LB – Granite Bay (CA) Granite Bay
Adonis Thomas – LB – Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett*
Tyriq Thompson – LB – Detroit (MI) King*
Anthony Wheeler – LB – Dallas (TX) Skyline*
Kareem Ali – CB – Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek
Kris Boyd – CB – Gilmer (TX) Gilmer
Shaun Crawford – CB – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward*
Minkah Fitzpatrick – CB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep*
Iman Marshall – CB – Long Beach (CA) Poly*
Darrell Miller – CB – Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill
John Reid – CB – Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s Prep*
Tyree Kinnel – S – Huber Heights (OH) Wayne*
Marcus Lewis – S – Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Tyler Woodley – S – Powder Springs (GA) McEachern

This post is getting long, so hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 prospects:

2016
Messiah DeWeaver – QB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison
Kentrail Moran – RB – O’Fallon (IL) O’Fallon
Miles Sanders – RB – Woodland Hills (PA) Woodland Hills*
Kareem Walker – RB – Wayne (NJ) DePaul Catholic*
Scott Bracey – WR – Richmond (VA) Benedictine*
Brandon Burton – WR – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra
Cameron Chambers – WR – Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek
D.J. Morgan – WR – Bellflowers (CA) St. John Bosco
David Edwards – TE – Downers Grove (IL) North
Marquise Guinn – TE – Carthage (TX) Carthage
Jake Hausmann – TE – Cincinnati (OH) Moeller
Isaac Nauta – TE – Buford (GA) Buford*
Kaden Smith – TE – Flower Mound (TX) Marcus*
Naseir Upshur – TE – Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep
Sean Foster – OT – Mundelein (IL) Carmel Catholic
Thiyo Lukusa – OT – Traverse City (MI) West*
Erik Swenson – OT – Downers Grove (IL) South*
E.J. Price – OG – Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett*
Tommy Roush – OG – Traverse City (MI) West
Lawrence Gordon – DE – Saginaw (MI) Saginaw
Jarrod McLin – DE – Carthage (TX) Carthage
Prince Sammons – DE – Cincinnati (OH) Hills Christian
Dexter Lawrence – DT – Wake Forest (NC) Rolesville*
Ed Oliver – DT – Houston (TX) Westfield
Daelin Hayes – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Keion Joyner – LB – Havelock (NC) Havelock
Robbie Robinson – CB – Hampton (VA) Phoebus
Aaron Matthews – ATH – Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson

2017
Bailey Hockman – QB – Powder Springs (GA) McEachern
Kahlee Hamler – WR – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Joshua Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s

*Prospect holds a Michigan offer

Scouting Report: Jeff Jones

Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones

Name: Jeff Jones
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 198 lbs.
High school: Minneapolis (MN) Washburn
Position: Running back
Class: 2014

Notes: Holds offers from Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Syracuse, and Wisconsin . . . Committed to Minnesota on February 2, 2013 . . . Claims a 4.69 forty, 275 lb. bench, 350 lb. squat, and a 32″ vertical . . . As a sophomore in 2011, had 142 carries for 1,415 yards and 26 touchdowns . . . As a junior in 2012, had 111 carries for 1,002 yards and 9 touchdowns . . . As a senior in 2013, had 167 carries for 1,525 yards and 34 touchdowns, plus 17 catches for 493 yards . . . ESPN 4-star, 83 grade, #14 RB, #181 overall . . . Rivals 4-star, #9 RB, #92 overall . . . Scout 4-star, #14 RB . . . 247 Sports 4-star, 93 grade, #13 RB, #188 overall

Strengths: Low center of gravity . . . Changes direction quickly . . . Jitterbug moves despite lacking great speed . . . Excellent patience and vision . . . Sets up blockers and defenders nicely . . . Uses variety of moves to shake free in open space . . . Deceptive power to go with agility . . . Can run around or through defenders . . . Good pass catcher . . . Adjusts well to ball in the air . . . Very physical runner who enjoys blocking unsuspecting defenders

Weaknesses: Lacks great speed . . . Not much of a home run threat . . . Does a lot of things well, but nothing outstanding in itself . . . Poor route runner, though that can easily be taught at the running back position . . . Appears to be a trash talker and occasionally slows up before end of play

Projection: Running back. At a shade under 200 lbs., Jones will likely want to add some weight to his frame in college, but I don’t think he should get above 210-215 lbs. Adding too much weight might slow him down when he’s not particularly fast in the first place. He’s a good all-purpose back who can run the ball inside or stay on the field for third downs to block or be a pass catcher out of the backfield. He probably won’t be able to get the edge on many teams, so he’s a between-the-tackles type of runner. With a good offensive line, he has a chance to be a productive college runner, but I think he lacks the burst to be a superstar.

Reminds me of: Marshawn Lynch . . . but slower. Jones has the vision and physicality to warrant the Lynch comparison, but Lynch was a home run threat in college. Jones plays mediocre competition in Minneapolis and won’t be able to run away from college athletes.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Jones is a soft commitment to the Minnesota Gophers and has been committed for nearly a year. He has visited Iowa State and entertained offers from Florida and Michigan. An official visit to Ann Arbor is set for January 24th. Most analysts believe the Wolverines have the best chance of flipping Jones. I believe the recent hire of offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who has had productive running backs at every stop, might be the thing to get Michigan over the hump.

Highlights: Jones’s senior highlights can be found on Hudl.

Recruiting Update: January 6, 2013

Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones was offered by Michigan. Jones is a 6’0″, 196 lb. prospect who “committed” to Minnesota in March 2013, but he has been looking around almost the entire time and took an official visit to Iowa State a few weeks ago. He also holds offers from Florida, Michigan State, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Jones has set an official visit to Florida, and he’s also tentatively planning to visit Ann Arbor and East Lansing. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 running back, and the #111 player overall. In the Under Armour All-American Game on Friday, he led Team Nitro with 43 yards rushing, adding 4 catches for 35 yards and 1 touchdown. Against admittedly weak competition in Minneapolis as a senior, he had 167 carries for 1,525 yards and 34 touchdowns, plus 17 catches for 493 yards and 8 touchdowns. He isn’t the biggest or the fastest back around, but he has a good combination of quick feet, surprising power, and good vision. I’ve been thinking Michigan should offer Jones for a while, and although it’s late in the process, the Wolverines have a chance. I don’t think Jones will end up signing with Minnesota, but I don’t have a solid guess on what his final choice will be, either.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro wide receiver Christian Kirk was offered by Michigan. He also has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, and numerous others. Kirk is a 5’10”, 180 lb. prospect who is a pretty polished player, along with being very fast and athletic. I have yet to see a better wide receiver in the 2015 class, and that includes former Michigan commit George Campbell. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 43 receptions for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns. According to 247’s Composite ranking, he’s a 5-star, the #1 wide receiver, and the #32 player overall.

OFF THE BOARD
Lewisville (TX) Hebron safety Jamal Adams committed to LSU at the Under Armour All-America Game. Actually, he committed to “the University of LSU,” which caused a big uproar on Twitter and message boards. Personally, I think it’s silly when people flip out about the language high school football players use when announcing where they’re going to play football.

New Orleans (LA) St. Augustine running back Leonard Fournette committed to LSU during the Under Armour All-America Game. Fournette is generally considered to be the top running back in the 2014 class, if not the best overall player. He flirted with Michigan a little bit and even scheduled a visit at one time, but he and his family famously never got on the plane, which caused Michigan’s portion of the internet to break.

Cleveland (OH) Glenville defensive backs Marshon Lattimore and Erick Smith committed to Ohio State during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Some smoke came out on Friday that they might be committing to Michigan, far-fetched as that was. Both have long been considered to be OSU locks, but it was thought that the Buckeyes might not have room for both of them. Smith in particular looked good in the all-star game when he led the East team with 6 tackles. However, he announced first and let the cat out of the bag that Lattimore would be joining him in Columbus, which took some of the wind out Lattimore’s commitment sails.

Oakley (CA) Freedom running back Joe Mixon committed to Oklahoma as the climactic announcement of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Mixon was also considering Wisconsin, which could have been bad news for the rest of the Big Ten.

Crete (IL) Crete-Monee linebacker Nyles Morgan committed to Notre Dame. After Crete-Monee products Anthony Standifer and Laquon Treadwell stiffed Michigan in the past couple classes, I barely paid attention to Morgan throughout the process. I do think it would have been oddly interesting to have Michigan’s current middle linebacker take a breather only to be replaced by this guy.

Olathe (KS) North outside linebacker Jimmie Swain IV committed to Oregon. Swain had been committed to TCU at one point, but he opened up his recruitment only to become a silent commit to the Ducks several weeks ago.

Washington (DC) Friendship cornerback Jalen Tabor committed to Arizona during the Under Armour All-America Game. In a surprise move, Tabor picked the Wildcats over Alabama and Maryland. He’s a 247 Composite 5-star, the #4 cornerback, and the #24 player overall. Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez has had problems with 5-star defensive backs in the past (Demar Dorsey, Justin Turner), so for his sake, hopefully Tabor at least plays a down or two of football.

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra linebacker Dwight Williams committed to UCLA during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Serra is a powerhouse school, and Williams was considering a visit to Michigan at one point, but it never came through. He was #1 on my wish list for a weakside linebacker in the 2014 class, and I think he’ll have a good career for the Bruins. His teammate, highly touted cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, tweeted out a top six the other day that did not include Michigan, just in case you were still holding out hope that the Wolverines could pull off a miracle.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here are my thoughts on the play of Michigan’s commits in the Under Armour game.

With only Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake’s Mason Cole playing in the Army game, I didn’t write up a separate post. Cole started at left guard and played some right tackle in the game, although I read in several places that he looks like a guard through and through for the next level. Cole looked somewhat undersized out there, and I imagine he’s somewhere around 275-280 lbs. right now. I did see him have trouble with the huge defensive tackles on the West roster, such as Bijhon Jackson, who’s listed at 6’2″, 327. But overall, he showed nice footwork, good knee bend, and decent strength, and Rivals named him the #6 overall performer on the East team.

In case you’re wondering, here’s a link to the relevant roster players for each of the weekend’s notable All-America games:

Under Armour
U.S. Army
Semper Fidelis
Offense-Defense