LSU Linebacker Mike Jones Ready to Make Next Jump As Leader, Starter for Tigers
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Mike Jones knows the importance of this season to his football future but sitting down with the now fifth year junior linebacker, you wouldn't know it.
Jones is approaching this season with all of the confidence that he's settled into his role as a leader and an every down inside linebacker caliber player that he's enjoying every part of the work and newfound accountability that exists within this program. The addition of defensive coordinator Matt House has made all the difference in the world for Jones, who has really attacked these last few months and is learning what it takes to be an impact defensive anchor in the middle of the field.
The physical tools have always been there with Jones and it was just towards the end of the 2021 season where we got to see what the physical and mental approach gelling together could mean for his future. It was only a taste of what Jones hopes is a breakout season and a lot of it he credits House with in the very short time they've been working together.
Whether it's in the meeting rooms, walkthroughs, communicating on the field or executing, Jones said House is the perfect coach for what he hopes will be a breakout year for him.
"I'm so glad I came back for another year to play under coach House," Jones said. "His whole mentality is exactly what I needed as a player trying to maximize his fifth year. Just going as hard as you can, he brings that mentality to every aspect of the game. I come out of every day like I just worked myself to death."
Jones knows what a good coach can do for a player's career as he saw it first hand with Damone Clark and linebackers coach Blake Baker a year ago. Clark spent the entire offseason growing his understanding of what it takes to be an inside linebacker and Baker was a great tool for him to learn from, eventually becoming one of the most improved players in all of the SEC.
It certainly helps that House is not only the defensive coordinator but will also coach a linebacker room that is flooded with talent. Jones definitely feels he's turned a corner in the understanding of how to play inside the box and the physicality it requires. What he's been learning from House is now taking what he knows about the defensive schemes and applying them to attack an offense.
"Just understanding football and the mindset of an offense was a really big thing for me," Jones said. "I'm getting a whole overview of everything I need to know and now it's just about going out and executing. When it comes to playing in the box I feel like I've settled down and I just go play now, I don't have to think about it."
Coming from Clemson a year ago, the goal for Jones was to learn the inside linebacker spot and hopefully enter this upcoming draft. But like Clark the previous year, the development process took time and it wasn't until the end of the year where we saw Jones start growing more and more comfortable with playing inside the box.
Over his last six games, Jones recorded 23 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and a sack. As LSU's season wound down and the time came to make a decision on his future, Jones didn't want to leave college knowing there was still opportunity for him to improve.
"I was just waiting to hear who they were going to bring in as the coach," Jones said. "I didn't want to end my college career on a bowl game like that one. I wanted to end it on a high note and I found out coach House was coming and that made it easy."
This will no doubt be a competitive room but one that Jones is already leading with the like of Micah Baskerville, the two who return with the most experience at linebacker. Young guys like Greg Penn, transfer freshman Kolbe Fields and true freshman DeMario Tolan are guys who Jones knows has bright futures with the program and is helping them out along the way as well.
But the goal for Jones, outside of playing his best football, is to help be a part of getting this program back to where it was three years ago.
"My main goal is just to play my best football. Whatever happens after that happens. I wanna win big games, wanna win the SEC West and go to the playoff," Jones said. "I really wanna help lead this team, lead this defense and just be the best I can be every day."
