Michigan OL Trente Jones declares for 2024 NFL Draft
Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Trente Jones will not return to Ann Arbor for the 2024 season, foregoing a sixth season of eligibility to enter this spring’s NFL Draft. The official announcement was made today on his decision on his football future.
Jones leaves Michigan as a two-time Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line member, three-time Big Ten Champion and a national champion for the 2023 season. He has appeared in 37 career games on the offensive line with 12 starts at right tackle and as an extra offensive lineman in jumbo sets. Michigan will have an open competition for both tackle spots next season with his decision to move on.
Jones competed with classmate Karsen Barnhart for a starting tackle job in the lead-up to the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In 2022, he appeared in 11 games with six starts at right tackle before spraining his ankle halfway through the season. This year, he primarily played as the extra offensive lineman before Zak Zinter broke his ankle in the Ohio State game, which kicked Barnhart inside to guard and Jones to right tackle. The combination helped Michigan push through the College Football Playoff with some of its best, cohesive offensive line play all year.
Jones appeared in all 14 games during the 2021 season with two starts as the sixth offensive lineman, also contributing on special teams. He made one appearance in 2020 and did not see game action during his freshman season in 2019.
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Jones told Blue By Ninety after the national title game that he was leaning toward entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
“Prepping for the NFL Draft, becoming the best offensive lineman I can be, and being prepared for the next level,” he said. He also added that he would want NFL team to know: “Trente has grit, Trente is for the team, he’s selfless, and he’s gonna double-team that sh– out of somebody.”
Michigan dipped into SEC country to secure the services of Jones back in 2019. He was a four-star recruit, the No. 110 player in the country, the No. 14 offensive tackle and the 13th-ranked player in the state of Georgia, per the On3 Industry Ranking. Jones attended Grayson High School in Grayson, Georgia.
Jones graduated from Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts with a major in Creative Writing and Literature. He spent this season pursuing a master’s degree from the School of Social Work.
