Brian Kelly praises the reliability of LSU sophomore OL Emery Jones

Brian Kelly did something not many in college football would have the guts to do. LSU ran out two freshmen at the offensive tackle positions, with Emery Jones taking the right side. You might think disaster would have struck but quite the opposite. Jones has turned into a dependable player for the Tigers on and off the field.

Heading into spring practice, Jones has established himself as a true leader. Kelly used the word “reliable” to describe the right tackle. Most of the praise from the head coach came away from Jones’ ability to protect the quarterback.

“It starts with how he handles himself away from the field,” Kelly said. “He makes good choices, good decisions. He’s never on a list. When I say on a list, he’s never on an academic report, he’s never on a list relative to being late to anything. He’s reliable.”

Jones played in all 14 games last season for LSU, getting a start in 14 of them. He played opposite Will Campbell, both being huge in-state recruiting wins for Kelly. Jones was a top 100 and four-star recruit and is from the city of Baton Rouge.

Sometimes, you just know when you have an NFL Draft pick on your hands. Jones has two more seasons of college football to play before being eligible to declare. When the time comes, Kelly is going to rave to NFL scouts, coaches, and general managers, about Jones’ reliability.

“I was telling my guys the other day, in my three decades of being a head coach, if there is one question I am asked over and over from GMs and head coaches — ‘Is he reliable? Is he going to be on time? Can I count on him?’ This is a guy you can count on and we can count on him as a true freshman,” Kelly said. “He’s so reliable and that just goes to his parenting, his background, his high school, where he came from. He’s exceptional.”

While he might be entering his second season, Jones is technically still a freshman. He was named an On3 true freshman All-American this past season — as was his tackle counterpart, Campbell. They might find themselves on the overall All-American teams in a year’s time.

Jones played high school football at Baton Rouge (LA) Catholic, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 100 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.