What is Ole Miss Football Getting in Jarrian Jones, transfer from MSU?
Former Mississippi State defensive back Jarrian Jones is transferring to Ole Miss. Jones, who announced his decision Saturday on Twitter, had only just entered the transfer portal on May 19.
Sure, Ole Miss stole Jones away from their biggest rival. Sure, this makes the lead up to the 2020 Egg Bowl even more dramatic and fun. But right now, the only question that really needs answered is what exactly are the Rebels getting in Jones.
Jarrian Jones was a former four-star recruit out of Flowood, Miss in the class of 2019. Before committing to play for Mississippi State and Terrell Buckley, he had first committed to go to Oklahoma.
Jones played his high school ball at Northwest Rankin, where he put up some simply preposterous numbers. In addition to the 70 tackles and seven interceptions he recorded over his junior and senior seasons, Jones also compiled 1,772 yards as a receiver and scored 26 touchdowns over those two seasons. The kid is simply a stupidly good football player.
"Jarrian Jones was an interesting study coming out of high school. As a senior he was a wide receiver who flashed dominance with his speed and ball skills, often making the big play or somehow securing catches despite traffic," said Sports Illustrated's director of football recruiting John Garcia, Jr. "When he made it to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game week, he worked in the secondary and his combination of size, instincts and those ball skills created even more impressive flashes against future SEC competition."
"He is willing to compete at the line of scrimmage and has the speed, length and savvy to contend down the field as well. It isn’t a stretch to see Jones lining up as a boundary cornerback or hybrid safety at Ole Miss, with even some nickel upside if need be. He did better than any high school defensive back I’d seen against Georgia star George Pickens, even winning multiple 50/50 balls against him to cap his prep career. As the gap between Jones’ confidence and improved technique narrows, he should be able to see the field sooner rather than later."
The short answer is that Ole Miss is getting a former four-star defensive back just one year removed from high school that played in 11 games in 2019 as a true freshman. But that doesn't tell the true story.
Jones is long for a corner. The average cornerback drafted into the NFL this past year stood 5-foot-11. At 6-foot-1, Jones' length gives him an advantage and the ability to play with bigger receivers. As a receiver in high school himself (remember those gaudy numbers from above), he has some impressive ball skills that you don't always see in defensive backs, especially at this level.
Draftscout.com projects Jones' 40-yard dash time somewhere between 4.37 and 4.57-seconds, with a likely time of 4.48-seconds. Again, these numbers come in faster than the average corner drafted this past year, who ran 4.52-seconds.
While at Mississippi State, Jones played exclusively in the corner role. That said, he was recruited as a safety and also has experience as both a kick and punt returner – the kid is truly an athlete. He should, in theory, be able to play either of the defensive back roles at Ole Miss.
Whether he will be able to see the field this year or the next, we will have to see. Jones, having not redshirted last year as a freshman, could receive one if he has to sit out a year, but will likely be applying for a waiver to play immediately for the Rebels.
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