A phone call from Hugh Freeze, a last-minute visit and a surprise flip: How Auburn landed Avery Jones

Just 10 days after entering the NCAA transfer portal, East Carolina center Avery Jones found his new home. Following an official visit to Illinois, he committed to Bret Bielema’s program Dec. 12.

And, so it seemed, his recruitment was over.

But all of that changed recently when Auburn reached out to Jones in — quite frankly — the 11th hour.

“I was actually packing my stuff up from my apartment in Greenville (N.C.), like at East Carolina getting ready to head up to Illinois,” Jones told Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson. “But then, (Auburn coach Hugh) Freeze called me, (offensive line coach Jake) Thornton called me — and asked me if I would be interested in Auburn. I said, ‘Of course, it’s Auburn.’ They were like, ‘Can you come and visit now?’ It was 5 p.m. at the time and I was like, ‘right now?’ They said, ‘Yeah, we have to get you down here right now.’ … I took a quick visit Sunday night and was done with the visit Sunday night, so it was that quick.”

That trip, though short, was a game-changer for Jones. The window for mid-year transfers to visit closed Sunday.

Two day later, he pulled a shocker by announcing via Twitter he was flipping his commitment to the Tigers. Auburn announced his signing shortly thereafter.

For Auburn, Jones fills a significant need as the Tigers are short on numbers and experience at center.

“Well, they actually reached out, I think it was Saturday,” Jones said. “They were trying to get me on a visit on the day, but they couldn’t really do it that day; it was too late in the day. So, I kind of thought that was going to be the end for Auburn, but the next day they called me. They said, ‘We really like watching your film. The things we see on film, we don’t see a lot of other centers doing athletically.’ So they said I need to get down there as soon as I possible. I got on a flight, went down on Sunday. I had a Zoom meeting with the strength coach, nutritionist. We only had a small amount of time to really look at the facility and take in everything, so we did it beforehand (on zoom) during the trip there.”

While in Auburn, Jones got a crash course on Auburn football and what things would be like under Freeze.

“We just talked ball,” Jones said. “I talked ball with Coach Thornton and the OC (Phillip Montgomery). We watched my film and watched film of Ole Miss and seeing how my abilities can really help the O-Line. Man, Jake Thornton, he told me he was 29 years old. So, I was like, wow. That’s crazy in itself. I was looking for a young coach. His energy and his excitement when he saw my film just made me feel great. I was excited sitting in the chair talking to him about it.”

Jones, who has one year of eligibility remaining, also had offers from programs such as South Carolina and Missouri, among others.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, he started three seasons at East Carolina — the last two at center. But the former North Carolina signee always thought he had the ability to be at an SEC school.

“Man, I think about it a lot,” Jones said. “I was kind of questioning myself a lot. I always knew I wanted to play in the SEC, in a big league. I liked (Bret) Bielema; that’s why I committed to Illinois. So, it was tough, man. But, I couldn’t waste this opportunity to go to a school like Auburn and be in the SEC playing around all these great players and be in these facilities. It was just too good. It was literally a dream come true.” Coach Freeze, obviously has a great record with turning schools around. He’s a great coach, so it just felt like a great fit.”

Now locked in with the Tigers, Jones plans to arrive back in Auburn “within the next week” to begin class. He has lofty goals, to say the least.

“My expectations are to be the starting center,” Jones said. “Start throughout the season and be the No. 1 guy. It’s always my expectation to be the best wherever I go. I’m willing to work to be the No. 1 guy. I think something that sets me apart at the position is just my athletic ability. I always think I could get better, get stronger, and gain weight coming from a smaller conference, but I’ve played against people that were 350-pound nose tackles lined up against me. I can handle my own against big players. … I’ve got one year left. Make the most of it in the best league.”

Having already met his future coaches, the next step for Jones will be getting to know those he will be playing alongside on Saturdays.

“The center, being the leader of the offensive line, has to connect with everybody,” Jones said. “In a game there has to be great chemistry for everybody to be successful. As a center at ECU I felt like a leader. I came in as a transfer and I started pretty much after the first game. I think as a center being a leader and just bonding with those guys all coming to a new place together — that might be a bond in and of itself.”

After Jones announced his flip to Auburn, Bielema quote Tweeted Jones and wrote, “College football is changing everyday #NIL.” Later, when a reporter who covers Illinois Tweeted “Big loss for Illinois” the coach responded, “Loss???? #ILL“

That got Jones’ attention.

“Yeah, I saw them,” Jones said. “I try not to pay too much attention to stuff like that. I mean, I know that’s not the reason I chose to go to Auburn. People can say what they want to say, but I know who I am and I know my character. It surprised me, too. I didn’t think he would do that. But, you know, I’m glad I saw that.”