Austin Jones trying to cherish every moment during final ride at USC

USC running back Austin Jones is enjoying every second of his final offseason with the Trojans.

Heading into his fifth season of college football, Jones is taking nothing for granted. With USC’s College Football Playoff hopes a legitimate possibility, he wants to leave a mark on what is expected to be a program-defining season for his team.

“You cherish every single moment. This is my last spring game, so I don’t get another opportunity,” Jones said. “This is my last season, so cherishing every moment, coming out there and seeing all the fans and everything like that.

“After the game, I went up to the stands and I tried to sign as many autographs and take as many pictures as I could. Once it’s over, it’s over. I want to cherish every moment.”

During his first season with the Trojans, Jones logged 135 carries for 705 yards and scored six total touchdowns. His most impressive outings came in consecutive games late in the season against UCLA and Notre Dame, rushing for more than 100 yards in both contests.

Austin will have to split time with fellow returner Darwin Barlow in the backfield, and the duo is joined by South Carolina transfer MarShawn Lloyd and two talented incoming freshmen in Quinten Joyner and A’Marion Peterson.

Jones transferred to USC last offseason after spending his first three seasons of college football at Stanford. There, the former four-star recruit rushed for 1,155 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Cardinal from 2019-2021. Heading into 2023, he is 140 yards away from eclipsing the 2,000 career rushing yard mark.

He had the opportunity to head to the NFL after last season but elected to return to Lincoln Riley’s running back room instead. Jones said he thought it was in his best interest that he returned to school and develop in the hopes of raising his pro draft stock.

Coming out of the 2019 class, Jones was a four-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was No. 121 overall player and No. 9 running back in his class. He was also the No. 19 player out of California.

Jones and the Trojans will kick their 2023 campaign off on Aug. 26 against San Jose State, but their first test against a conference opponent comes two weeks later on Sept. 9 when USC hosts Jones’ former team, Stanford.