LB Kristopher Jones Down to Florida, Georgia; Recaps Gators Official Visit

Not much was new for class of 2024 linebacker Kristopher Jones during his official visit to Florida over the weekend. After all, the trip was far from Jones' first to The Swamp as a recruit.

"Man, this is like my fifth time down here," Jones told All Gators following the visit. "It's basically the same thing."

Yet, Jones keeps on coming back.

The Fairfax (Va.) High prospect returned to Gainesville this weekend with a different objective than his previous, shorter trips, though. With 16 fellow official visitors on campus including four Gators commitments, Jones spent his time in Gainesville gauging what has drawn other prospects to team up with the orange and blue.

"Just talking with other recruits, just getting their point of view on how Florida is and just what made them attached to Florida," Jones explained. "They could be my future teammates one day."

One important friend he made along the way was Largo (Fla.) High's Adarius Hayes. A Florida pledge who also plays linebacker, Hayes was able to offer Jones insight that he might have not previously gleaned during previous unofficial visits.

Hayes also made an effort to convince Jones to join him at UF at the next level.

"Building a relationship with Adarius was big this weekend," said Jones. "Just getting his point of view on why he committed to Florida. You know, of course he's gonna try to get me to commit up here. Yeah, so just great building a relationship with him."

Before the conclusion of his stay, Jones met privately with linebackers coach Jay Bateman and head coach Billy Napier to discuss his potential fit in the Gators' defense and the program as a whole.

The conference was "amazing" from Jones' point of view. He exited with comfort regarding how the coaching staff would deploy him in numerous alignments across Florida's front seven, a vision matching what he believes to be an ideal scenario for his talents.

"I fit great. I like how they want to move me around," Jones described. "I want to show my versatility at the next level and they're gonna allow that."

Jones, 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, is viewed as the No. 10 linebacker and No. 103 overall recruit in the class of 2024 by the 247Sports composite rankings. He compiled 142 tackles, 10 sacks, 26 tackles for loss and an interception as a sophomore, his latest season with recorded statistics.

With a college decision on the horizon — he intends to finalize his commitment by August — only two visits remain on Jones' schedule at this time. He'll first head to Michigan State unofficially over the next two weeks before taking an official visit to Georgia from June 16-18.

Despite the Spartans' latest move in his recruitment, Jones is primarily focused on the two Southeastern Conference programs moving forward.

"Florida is most definitely in a good spot right now," stated Jones. "As of right now, it's just them and the Dawgs."

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