Oklahoma DE Marvin Jones Jr. Embracing 'Welcoming' Atmosphere at OU

NORMAN — Marvin Jones Jr. chose red over crimson when he first had to choose a school.

As a 5-star defensive end prospect in the Class of 2022, Jones signed with Georgia over Oklahoma and a few other finalists.

Jones will now play for the Sooners after two years at Georgia and a one-year stint at Florida State. And since arriving in Norman, Jones has realized that OU might have been the right fit all along.

“Everybody’s so welcoming,” Jones said. “It's a real family here, so it's been very easy.”

Jones won a national championship with the Bulldogs, playing in 13 of Georgia’s 15 games that season. He logged quarterback hurries in both of Georgia’s College Football Playoff games against Ohio State and TCU.

In 2023, he played in 12 games and started one, ending the season with 12 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Jones then transferred to Florida State, where he started nine games in 2024. He registered 25 tackles, six tackles for loss and a forced fumble as the Seminoles went 2-10.

Now in Norman, Jones immediately felt like he was in the right spot, thanks largely to defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis.

Chavis joined Oklahoma’s staff after the 2021 season after serving on Brent Venables’ staff at Clemson beforehand. He helped OU’s defense finish in the top 10 nationally in tackles for loss in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Chavis has helped Jones grow, both as a player and a person, since transferring.

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“The moment I landed at the airport, he came to get me, you could kind of see the kind of person he is,” Jones said. “It's not a facade, it's not just recruiting, man.”

“Chavis has definitely changed my life since I've been here. Not even just football, but becoming a man, becoming a follower of Christ. He's been an amazing leader for me.”

While Jones has been on campus for only a few months, Chavis praised the defensive lineman’s growth.

“Marvin has been amazing,” Chavis said on Monday. “I just love the development.”

Jones’ role on the defensive line is unique.

As someone with three years of high-level college football under his belt, Jones is one of the Sooners’ most experienced defensive players. But on the other hand, several other OU defensive ends — like R Mason Thomas, Taylor Wein, Adepoju Adebawore and Danny Okoye — have played in the system longer.

“It's not always easy trying to lead guys you just met, but I just go back to my experiences and try to help guys through that,” Jones said. “I've been through a lot of the things that these guys will go through in the future.”

Linebacker Kobie McKinzie, entering his redshirt junior season, believes Jones’ championship pedigree has been valuable for him and his teammates.

“When you see somebody like that, he obviously has a national championship ring… ‘What did those guys do when you were there? What made y’all good that year?’” McKinzie said in July. “It’s been nice to hear his approach on certain things, and it’s been good to know.”

Jones hasn’t yet lived up to the lofty expectations that come with being a former 5-star prospect. He has shown flashes of excellence, but he never became a star on either of the defenses he previously played for.

Less than a month until his OU debut, Jones feels more comfortable than he ever has at the collegiate level.

"It's been such a fun experience being here these last seven months,” Jones said. “My teammates make it so easy just learning calls. Communication is key here. So, man, it's been everything I expected. It's been awesome.”