4-star LB Kris Jones commits to Georgia Bulldogs

Fairfax (Va.) four-star linebacker Kris Jones believed that Florida was his future home as he headed to Georgia for his official visit in Athens on June 16. The Gators had checked all of his boxes up to that point but he knew Georgia also had a ton to offer.

Leaving Athens that following weekend, Jones’ mindset had completely changed.

The Bulldogs took the lead following that official visit and remained at the top throughout the next month and as Jones announced his pledge to Georgia on Sunday.

“What pushed Georgia to the top was the development aspect,” Jones told On3. “They do such a great job of developing their players and It’s really second to none.

…They just prepare their players so well. Seeing guys like Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in the the draft and how they’re doing such a a great job already in Philly, you know they do a great job of developing their guys and getting them ready for the NFL.”

On that last trip Jones sat with the Bulldogs coaches and they laid out their plan for him. He said they compared him to former first round pick Quay Walker and saw him filling the same type of role once he stepped on the field in Athens.

That comparison immediately caught Jones’ eye. What also caught his attention was the intensity of Georgia’s practice. Not one to settle for anything, Jones wanted to go to a place that tested him every single day.

No other school in his mind provided that type of opportunity like Georgia.

“Every day you’re at practice going against the best players in the country,” said Jones, the No. 128 player in the country That’s going to make the games come easier. There’s a competitive edge they have in practice that I like a lot.

…It’s amazing to watch them practice. It’s up-beat, up-tempo and very orderly. They have one thing in mind and that’s winning the national title.”

Kirby Smart’s determination appealed to Jones

Having watched college football for a long time now, Jones is fully aware of Georgia’s ascension to top of the college football landscape since Kirby Smart took over in late 2015.

He watched as Smart steadily built the Bulldogs into a team that competed for a national title a few years ago to a program one that continually recruits at the top and has won back-to-back national titles.

Now a part of the Bulldogs’ No. 1 ranked 2024 class, Jones had no doubt in his mind that Smart was the coach he wanted play for at the next level.

“He’s determined and he’s going to work to get what he wants,” Jones said. “That’s what he’s trying to do and they’re building a great program at Georgia. He expects nothing less than a national championship and that’s the kind of coach I want to play for.”