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Three-Star Cornerback To Choose Between Illinois, UCF, N.C. State On Saturday

Shandel Richardson|
Vero Beach High School’s three-star cornerback Robert Jones III participates in a team workout, Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Vero Beach’s Citrus Bowl football field.
Vero Beach High School’s three-star cornerback Robert Jones III participates in a team workout, Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Vero Beach’s Citrus Bowl football field. | KAILA JONES /TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Illinois Fighting Illini

It is always considered a victory any time the Illinois Fighting Illini can steal a football recruit from the state of Florida.

The Illini will know if they grabbed one Saturday when three-star cornerback Robert Jones of Vero Beach High School makes his college choice. The Illini are among the finalists along with Central Florida and North Carolina State.

On Friday, Jones gave his thoughts on possibly continuing his career at Illinois in a personal essay written for The Treasure Coast News.

He wrote: "I love Illinois. When I went up there, I loved them athletically and academically. They showed they can take care of me and be the person I want to be at the end of the day. When I see Florida boys that come there and achieve their goal, that means a lot. Devon Witherspoon, Jer’Zhan Newton, guys like that. They’re coaching staff is really hype and as a defensive back you have to have that energy. I love the way they coach their team. I can see myself being a great DB at the University of Illinois."

Last year the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Jones had 19 tackles, nine pass break-ups and two interceptions. He was an All-Area honorable mention in the North Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Martin County area, a talent-rich patch in the state. He is rated as the No. 88 player in Florida.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com.

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here