Jeron Jones Is Yet Another UW Freshman Ready To Play

The cornerback from Southern California just spent 10 practices as a starter.

Freshman Jeron Jones has worked his way into playing time this coming season. | Dave Sizer photo

Jeron Jones is one of those precocious University of Washington freshmen football players, of which there are many, who showed right away he could step up and play.

Unlike some of his first-year peers such as edge rusher Ramzak Fruean and defensive tackle Derek Colman-Brusa, the defensive back isn't pegged to start the season opener against Washington State in the Apple Cup.

Yet this 5-foot-11, 180-pound Jones could do it if the need arose. He's been filling in for projected starter Dylan Robinson in practice for three weeks now.

To the Husky coaches, this polished coverage guy from Mission Viejo, California, came ready to play right away and it's been no surprise.

"To be honest, man, he's done what we thought as a staff that we think he can do," secondary coach John Richardson said. "He's an exceptional athlete. He's competitive. He's seen a lot of competition growing up in high school."

In other words, Jones is a Southern California defensive back in the same mold of Trent McDuffie, Sidney Jones and Robinson before him, all eventual starters as freshmen.

Where he might set himself apart from the others is he is equally proficient as a nickeback or cornerback.

He spent spring ball rotating in and out of nickel with returning starter Rahshawn Clark limited in recovering from shoulder surgery and he handled 10 practices as a starter this month while stepping in for a hobbled Robinson at corner.

As one of four freshman coverage guys, Jones' versatility is what differentiates him from the others in Rahsjon Duncan, Elijah Durr and Ksani Jiles, though Jiles came up with a 43-yard interception return for a score in Saturday night's mock game.

"He's actually been really impressive as far as he's been able to handle the inside and the outside," Richardson said of Jones.

Jeron Jones (24) joins a UW defensive back huddle. | Dave Sizer photo

The fresh-faced Jones actually has been a revelation to his more grizzled cornerback teammates, such as current starter Manny Karnley, who has gone from Arizona to Miami to Virginia to Washington in 20 months.

"If you knew him off the field, I wouldn't have thought he would be as lock down as he is on the field," Karnley said. "It's insane to see how sticky he is in coverage. It's hard to teach a freshman, a true freshman, coming in to go lock a guy up."

Jeron Jones goes through a cornerback drill. | Dave Sizer photo

Yet that's what Jones and McDuffie did not so long ago, and what Robinson is doing now, what Jones intends to do with the season about to unfold.

"He's just easy to float the game," Karnley said. "He's a really good football player."