Jones chooses Texas

Texas took a JUCO defensive lineman in the 2017 cycle to add numbers to a room that needed it. Texas plans to do the same in the 2019 class with Jacoby Jones. The Butler C.C. defensive lineman committed to Texas today.

Jones is originally out of McCluer North HS in Florissant, MO and was previously committed to OU. He also had offers from Colorado, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Oregon among others. He grew up in Shreveport, where he began to love the sport. It slowly grew into one of the premier junior college lineman in the nation.

Strengths: A long athlete with long arms with thick / toned midsection. Seems like he could add 10-20 lbs easily. Very versatile with film showing him at the nose, 3-tech, 4i, 5-tech and wide-9. Comes out of his stance under good balance and control. Sets a good anchor against the run block. Engages blockers with his head up and is very aware of the play around him. Locates the ball very quickly. Uses his active hands effectively to shed blockers and has smooth side-to-side movement as he seems to trade gaps quite easily. Sets the edge appropriately and does a decent job of trying to keep blockers from getting inside his reach. Looks very disciplined on the backside of the zone and read play. Shows some decent tackling skills on film. Against the pass shows a reasonable speed move and can cross the face of the pass blocker easily. Shows a swim move and a rip on film. Doesn’t telegraph his moves. Uses his hands effectively and seems to cause quite a bit of trouble with jabs and active handwork. Shows decent power on the bull rush and has some finishing ability around the QB. Very instinctive in trying to block passing lanes with his long arms. Top end speed is at least average. Good short area quickness. HUDL shows some kick block and kickoff coverage duties with a really nice FG block. Has three years to play two.

Areas for Improvement: Will overcommit inside at times and can get off balance. Inconsistent in keeping outside shoulder free. A bit flat-footed at times and inconsistent burst out of his stance. Loses speed on change of direction (but seems more agile than the blockers that he’s getting off balance). Body type reminds me more of a 3-4 OLB or 4-3 DE than a true 4i or interior lineman. Not sure about his ability to consistently command a double team or his ability to collapse the pocket but this will depend more on strength and conditioning. Wish the 2018 film was as impressive to me as the 2017 film.

How he fits at Texas: Jones is currently an edge player at the JUCO level with some solid bend but a good motor and a lot of toughness. He’s got the reach and frame to play the 4i and will probably end up there sooner than later, probably pending what Yancy McKnight made of him in winter S&C. He can turn the corner some on the edge but he’s also pretty good at stunting around, making him a good overall fit for being a three-down DE at Texas who can learn to clog the interior on run downs and then get loose on the edge or on the move on passing downs. – Ian Boyd

Jones becomes the 22nd member of Texas’ 2019 class joining Myron Warren (Many – LA), Marcus Washington (Trinity Catholic – St. Louis), Peyton Powell (Odessa Permian), David Gbenda (Cinco Ranch), Tyler Owens (Plano East), Derrian Brown (Buford – GA), Javonne Shepherd (North Forest), Marcus Tillman (Jones – FL), DeMariyon Houston (Millwood – OK), Marques Caldwell (Alvin), Chris Adimora (Lakewood – CA), Peter Mpagi (George Ranch), Jake Smith (Notre Dame Prep – AZ), Jared Wiley (Temple), Tyler Johnson (Conroe Oak Ridge), Brayden Liebrock (Chandler – AZ), Kenyatta Watson II (Grayson – GA), De’Gabriel Floyd (Westlake – CA), Jordan Whittington (Cuero), T’Vondre Sweat (Huntsville), and Roschon Johnson (Port Neches-Groves).