Georgia’s ‘fastest football recruit’ visits Auburn and Georgia Tech; Next stops are Tennessee and FSU
Jonathan Jones, who is considered “Georgia’s fastest football recruit,” recently picked up an offer from reigning BCS champion Auburn and visited Georgia Tech earlier this week.
The 5-foot-10 1/2 cornerback from Carrollton High School is a track star who led his team to a state championship last month and is a candidate for the Junior Olympics in the hurdles. Jones, who has a 3.7 GPA, prefers a future in football and is a three-year starter for one of Georgia’s top high school programs. He has around a dozen early scholarship offers and will begin to narrow down after visiting both Tennessee and Florida State next month.
“In my 26 years, I don’t think I’ve ever had a corner as good as Jonathan — that has that tenacity with hitting and tackling and that kind of speed,” Carrollton coach Rayvan Teague told the AJC. “I’ve had guys who had more picks but not a kid that is the total package like Jonathan. The sky is the limit for him. He’s a great kid and a great competitor. There’s no doubt he’s a Div. I corner because of his speed and hips. But he hits like a Div. I safety, which makes him kind of special.”
Because it's Georgia with around 200 D1 football prospects every year, there are always a few big-time talents flying a little under the recruiting radar. Carrollton DB Jonathan Jones is one of those guys this year, despite a dozen early offers. Expect that number to increase very soon (AJC photo by Michael Carvell)
Jones auditioned for an offer at Auburn camp earlier this month and earned one — after blowing away the coaches with his speed and football smarts. “Ted Roof, the defensive coordinator, said one of the things they do at camp is sit down and go over strategy and schemes. He was amazed with how quickly Jonathan picked up everything so quickly.”
The next trips for the speedster will be Tennessee on July 18, and Florida State on July 19.
“I don’t really have any leaders right now,” Jones told the AJC. “But once I visit Tennessee and Florida State, and see if they offer me or not, then I will have a better idea about everything. As far as my current offers, I’m really liking Auburn, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech.”
Georgia Tech covets Jones and was one of his first offers. He toured the campus on Monday. “It went really well,” Jones said. “I got to hang out with the coaches and look around. I like how Georgia Tech is not rushing me. They told me they would stick with me until the end. They know I want to check out all my options before I make my decision, and they respect that.”
What about UGA? Said Teague: “My understanding is that the defensive coordinator, being a pro guy, wants bigger corners, the 6-1 and 6-2 guys. Jonathan is too short for them at 5-10 1/2. They just don’t think he’s tall enough. That was their deal.”
Georgia’s top-rated defensive backs in the recruiting rankings are St. Pius’ Geno Smith (Alabama and Auburn are co-leaders) and Creekside’s Josh Holsey (committed to Auburn). Jones, who has missed numerous college camps and prospect combines in recent months due to his track obligations, is also emerging as a national prospect at the position. Said Teague, “I think Geno is a little bit taller and has great ball skills. I think Jonathan is faster and Jonathan hits harder.”
One thing that is not debatable is the blistering speed of Jones. Last month, he finished first in the 110-meter hurdles (14.02 seconds) and 300-meter hurdles (37.39) and won the Class AAA all-points trophy, while leading Carrollton to its second team championship in a row. This summer, Jones is touring the country for track, including meets in California and North Carolina. He registered a personal record of 13.72 in the 110 at the New Balance Outdoor Invitational.
Jones could go to about any college for track but prefers football.
“It’s just what I grew up doing,” Jones explained. “I started playing football at the age of four. It’s something I just love to do. With track, people saw that I was fast and said ‘go run track.’ But football is in my heart.”
Last year as a junior, Jones helped Carrollton’s football team reach the Class AAA state championship, where it was edged out by Sandy Creek 14-7. Some of his other offers are from Stanford, Kentucky, Boston College, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin. Asked if there was any other school that isn’t recruiting him that he wished would, Jones replied, “LSU.”
What do I think? There’s a lot to like about Jonathan Jones. His speed is well-documented. The video below is his newest, and there are plays on there against very good competition where JJ makes it look like everybody else is in slow motion. Toward the middle of the tape, you can see what his coach means by saying that Jones will be a D1 DB but hits like a D1 safety, although other video of Jones shows it better. He’s definitely not afraid to hit. This is not football, but I like how at the state track meet he was in the spotlight and had a ton of pressure on him to perform well; he met or exceeded all expectations there, and has continued to have success on the regional/national level this summer. I like how he carries himself, not some rah-rah “hey-look-at-me” but rather an unassuming and humble kid. I absolutely love his academic achievements (Stanford offer) and character (recently named permanent team captain in HS). I like his size. If I’m a college football coach, I like that Jones can put it on cruise control to just about anywhere on a track scholarship, yet hungers to play football. And I just keep going back to that speed, speed, speed — you can’t coach it. In my opinion, I think Jonathan Jones is most certainly one of the top overall college prospects in the state of Georgia. I think his coach said it best with “total package.” I think he already has some great offers — and that he is about to get more.
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– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog Got a recruiting item? mcarvell@ajc.com
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198 comments Add your comment
Jake no.13
July 2nd, 2011
7:40 pm
Champ Bailey is six feet even, on a good day. Would he receive a scholarship today?
Tickle Piler
July 2nd, 2011
9:29 pm
The Jackets won’t get this kid – not until he drops to “second-tier” talent. We never get top rate afletes on Techwood Dr.
Perspective Rules
July 3rd, 2011
9:10 am
It doesn’t matter that Tech does not get the caliber of athlete that UGA gets. They still do more with their talent than UGA does – If you look up “Underachievement” in the dictionary, you will probably see a picture of the UGA football team!
Paul N Destin
July 3rd, 2011
9:12 am
MikeP …you continue to dream about no NCAA problems. Lowder,yellafella and Dye have you folks so deep in sheet you will not get out for years. Forget the 3-4 years down the road it will unfold because it’s coming before this season starts.AU will be under the NCAA folks all of 2011 and will be on probation before spring. Sacs is going to hammer your beloved school as well. Auburn will make SMU appear as school children.
Buzz 2010
July 3rd, 2011
1:51 pm
Jonathan is too smart for UGA.. Only an “X” is required on the scholarship form and you are in at Athens..
Ashley
July 3rd, 2011
3:36 pm
This fellow has so much more class and intelligence than UGA’s #1 recruit, Isaiah Crowell, that there’s no comparison. No wonder he didn’t want to go to Athens and play with imbecile thugs.
I wish him success.
JD in Marietta
July 4th, 2011
8:49 am
While UGA is stuck on height at DB, Auburn recruits based on overall skill set, thats why they’re National Champs and UGA is a 2nd tier SEC talent….and this is coming from a lifelong fan who used to sell programs at UGA games. GA get your head out of your keister and dont let this kid slip. Whats 2-3 inches at DB when the kid can fly and lay the wood?
Jim S
July 4th, 2011
7:29 pm
Sooner rather than later these UNFOUNDED rumors about probation for Auburn is going to end. Yhe NCAA has already virtually cleared Auburn and most sane people know it’s over and Auburn did nothing wrong. I’m sure the Dawgs and Bammers are not happy with this but IT IS WHAT IT IS! The Bammers would do well to remember that it’s THEM who’s still on probation, NOT AUBURN! Moreover if their recruiting practices continue as the have recently (Calloway,Kuandjio, Region) they’re gonna get hit by the NCAA again.
bigeasy830
July 5th, 2011
8:29 am
That kid is fast but he don’t have good ball skills at corner. He will need to be coached up alot. Why is he playing so far off the ball, with all that speed. In those higlights I see him making alot of tackles after the other team player had an excellent chance at catching the ball. With that speed on the highschool level he should have been playing up closer to the line of scrimage and utilizing that closing speed to make INT’s. UGA is not making a mistake on not signing him at corner, with that speed he may have been a very good return man for us though. Signing this kid won’t make the program and not signing this kid won’t break the brogram.
au
July 5th, 2011
7:45 pm
lol all georgia fans callin auburn player thugs because they are jealous of what they accomplished and never what georgia accomplished,newton lived in georgia and if he went to georgia yall would love him but reason why recruits in georgia go to alabama or auburn is because what has georgia done in the past years now tell me that have they won a national championship in the last 5 years i may not sound like it but im a bama fan i hate auburn but everyone says alabama is so much better than auburn look back the last 9 years whos won the most auburn 7-2 auburn is clearly better than bama hands down and you know in the past auburn and alabama is the biggest rivilary in college football there has been dozens of killings over this game divorces fights and whoever wins that game can where there team proudly in the the state of alabama and if 1 thing breaks out about a gooooood player MAY have cheated on auburn or alabama one of the other team would add on to it making it sound real and makin it worse then it actually isthose are the thing whyitsthe biggest rivilary in college football and no geno smith is talking about everyday how great auburn is and if you go on his twitter account auburn is #1 for him and Holsey alrdy committed to auburn because its like family there and georgia doesnt attaract him like auburn does. im not proud of it but i like the truth to be spreaded around most of yall may not of heard that alabama yes alabama has cheated they have 44 violations to their school they recruited illegally when everyone one was suppose to drop there phones and stop offering recruits nick saban was texting recruits to go to his school. Mark ingram,julio jones marcel daerus tennis team basketball team all have violations but nothing will be done to them dont know why but idc and no auburn does not lead in probations i hate defending auburn but yall are a bunch of srry bitches that wish yall could get the best recruits and win big game unlike auburn and alabama and if yal cant beat them how can you complain yall just arent good enough ROLL TIDE!!!!!
WAR CAM EAGLE!!!
July 5th, 2011
7:53 pm
ahhhhh i rember when georgia played auburn yall know georgias crappy offense of linemen who cant block and nick fairley ran into to the back field ran over aron murray like 10n times and he was crying in the inside and his cry baby protecters linemen tryed to fight nick fairley the next play than he ran off to the side lines smiling and putting on his imaginary WWE belt boy’s u never pick a fight with auburn boys they arent afriad to fight i rember back then aubie(auburns mascot) got pushed by the florida gator mascot aubie beat the crap out ot the gator mascot and i also rember when auburn players storm alabama’s sideline and beat the crap out of all of them and auburn won both those games WAR EAGLE!!!!! dont be jealous dawg fans that all yall can say is goooo dawwgs…. boring WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!
Georgia DE would likely be committed to North Carolina if not for NCAA investigation | AJC College Sports Recruiting
July 6th, 2011
5:16 am
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July 8th, 2011
8:01 am
[...] Georgia’s “fastest football recruit” (click here for story) [...]
MikeP
July 8th, 2011
8:37 am
Paul N Destin
July 3rd, 2011
9:12 am
“MikeP …you continue to dream about no NCAA problems. Lowder,yellafella and Dye have you folks so deep in sheet you will not get out for years. Forget the 3-4 years down the road it will unfold because it’s coming before this season starts.AU will be under the NCAA folks all of 2011 and will be on probation before spring. Sacs is going to hammer your beloved school as well. Auburn will make SMU appear as school children.”
Careful, Paul in Destin. Every time you haters put a date up, it passes and nothing happens. I can list about eight or nine “really gonna’ happen” dates right now and they are all long gone. Now you say before this season starts? Face reality, Paul. Auburn has done nothing wrong and nothing bad is going to happen to Auburn.
It’s been recently proven that in Columbus, a Georgia booster paid a prospect’s mom’s cell phone bill. That’s more wrong doing right there then anything Auburn has done in years. If you think not, name the infraction that has been proven against Auburn. Waiting……
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July 21st, 2011
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July 22nd, 2011
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Dekalb County ICEMAN
July 26th, 2011
6:28 pm
Johnathan Jones isnt Georgia’s fastest football recruit; not even in AAA. The kid is talented but he may only be the “fastest football recruit over hurdles”. Not to say he is a track guy playing football, because again the kid is good. AJC needs to check out Tammarick Johnson from Stone Mountain. He would beat Jones in a footrace. He beat Jones’ teammate at the Georgia Olympics and he is a football player too. Willing to bet he is the fastest football recruit in GA as oppose to Jones.
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July 28th, 2011
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August 4th, 2011
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Mr. SEC
August 4th, 2011
9:17 am
I’m almost ready to go back to recruiting the best players for the position if they live in Egypt, Brazil, The Artic Pole, or where ever! These kids who could start at UGA any given year haul ass to other programs because of “friends or they are a package deal”, or some other idiot reason that they kind of. Unfortunately they are red shirted or gray shirted then cut from the team their junior year for another recruit that has been promised the moon, only to find out later that they will be treated the same unless they have Superman across their chest. The heck with this border protection crap; it paid off last year, but this year kids are hauling ass to teams that have won a national championship recently, “this not mean that you are goig to do the same.” They would rather ride the tails of someone in front of them rather than be a welcomed addition to a team. To UGA, recruit wherever, and the hell with all of these Georgia kids that think that they are going to be a major impact player when they arrive at another campus! Give me recuits from wherever that want to be at UGA and not some guy who wants to talk trash about, “well they didn’t offer me first”! Go cry to somebody else who cares!
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flatsdawg1
August 15th, 2011
6:33 pm
In football, you can’t teach speed, and this jones kid is the real deal, and will be a beast, can’t understand any football team in any league that shuns a speedy kid.If you can coach, then speed is where you start, its called common sense.