4 Star Receiver JJ Jones Discusses Todd Monken And Georgia Football
JJ Jones is a 6'3" 195 receiver out of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The 4-Star prospect has seen a steady pace with his recruitment since September of last year. Month after month, Jones is accumulating more and more offers from major programs. Georgia offered Jones back in late February and the Bulldog Maven on SI.com was able to catch up with him recently to discuss his overall recruitment and how things are trending with Georgia Football.
Coach Cortez Hankton and Coach Todd Monken have been working on building a relationship with Jones for a couple of months now. "It started with them texting me and telling me that they loved my film and asking for my head coach's phone number. I sent it to him and a day later Coach Hankton called me and told me that Georgia wanted to offer me a scholarship. It was very sudden and just crazy. Then I started talking to Coach Monken and he seemed like a great guy and he's been in the NFL so he knows what he's talking about" said Jones.
Since the offer the receiver coach and offensive coordinator tandem have been in frequent contact with Jones, informing him of what the Georgia offense is going to look like going forward. "Coach Monken has told me that they're looking to throw the ball more this season and get the receivers more involved, so that's something that a wide receiver dreams of" explained Jones. Georgia finished 2019 with a dead even 223 passing yards per game. That ranked them 5th in the SEC. LSU, Alabama, and Florida were the top three with per-game averages of 401.6, 342.23, and 300.77 yards respectively.
Jones is a student of the game. He indicated that once he is offered by a program, he goes online and watches film of what the offensive coordinators of those programs have done in the past.
"You have to do your research. You don't want to go into a situation blind. It's important to know how you'll be used anywhere you go. I did a lot of research into Coach Monken and how he uses his receivers. You know, he had Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, arguable the greatest duo in the NFL. So we had a zoom session together, talking about the routes he likes to run, his playstyle, what he sees me at. Also, Coach Hankton is a great receiver coach, he has the experience of playing in the NFL and putting guys in the league coaching as well. All of that just really benefits you as a receiver." - JJ Jones on researching Todd Monken and Cortez Hankton
Georgia has communicated to Jones that they see him as a versatile player. Play and formation will dictate his alignment more so than his position. Jones has the size and vertical ability to be a physical and dangerous presence on the outside, while also possessing the speed and route-running ability to play in the slot some as well. Jones has excellent game speed and can accelerate quickly once the ball is in his hands.
Jones recently dropped a Top 10 and making the cut along with Georgia were South Carolina, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi State, and Michigan. The two Carolina schools will make a hard push for Jones and look for a Top 5 to come out not too long after the moratorium on recruiting is lifted. When asked how Georgia stacks up in the Top 10 currently, Jones responded, "They're in real good shape right now. They are really high on my list."
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