All Things RB Jeffrey Jones Thread

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RB Jeffrey Jones on Minnesota: "I think that is where I am going to go, overall."
By Chris Monter

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/144915?referrer_id=331171

Jeffrey Jones, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound sophomore running back from Minneapolis Washburn who received a scholarship offer from Minnesota last year, is considered one of the top players in the state in the Class of 2014. The two-sport standout attended the Minnesota Comets Shootout this past weekend and talked to GopherHole.com about the latest on his recruitment


Jones rushed for 1415 yards on 142 carries and had 26 touchdowns. He shined in the postseason as he rushed 57 times for 529 yards and eight scores in three playoff contests. Jones gained over 100 yards on the ground in eight of ten games as the Millers finished 7-3 as they lost in the Section 2AAA finals for the second year, falling to Holy Family Catholic 49-31.

Jones helped lead the Millers football team to a 7-4 mark, losing in the Class AAA, Section 2 finals to LeSueur-Henderson 60-32 as a freshman. Jones rushed 128 times for 773 and eight touchdowns. Jones had 100 or more rushing yards in four games.

Jones is also an outstanding basketball player. He came off the bench for the Millers, who finished second in the Class AAA state tournament.

Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your football recruitment?

Jeffrey Jones: I have been going to the Minnesota spring practices. I haven’t heard anything (new) really. I just sent out my highlights to Oregon, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa State and Michigan State. I haven’t heard anything back, but I am really interested in Minnesota right now. I think that is where I am going to go, overall. They have shown the most interest. It is my hometown. I just want to help them get better.

Gopher Hole: Do you even think that you might commit soon?

Jeffrey Jones: Yes. Really soon.

Gopher Hole: Like how soon?

Jeffrey Jones: You’ll find out. (Laughing)

Gopher Hole: Are you going to go to any football camps then or would you maybe just go to the Gopher camp?

Jeffrey Jones: I am going to go to a few camps and see what they think about me and how I can get better as a running back and what I need to get ready for the next level.

Gopher Hole: What things have been you working on to improve yourself as a running back?

Jeffrey Jones: I have been trying to work on holding the ball. I have been getting my footwork better in and out of the cones and making myself skinny in the hole more and try to keep my pad level up.

Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many Junior Days?

Jeffrey Jones: No. I haven’t really been to any Junior Days. I got invited to a few, but they were kind of far away and me and my Coach couldn’t come up with the money in time to get there.

Gopher Hole: What do you like about the Gophers?

Jeffrey Jones: I just like the way they make me feel like family there. They always invite me to come down and watch practice. The coaches are always keeping in touch with my Coach and asking about me, so I just think that they are interested and right now, I think that they would take the most care of me.

Gopher Hole: Are you going to the spring game or are you in an AAU Tournament this weekend?

Jeffrey Jones: Unfortunately, we are in a basketball tournament (the Best Buy Spring Classic). I would like to go.

Gopher Hole: What are the expectations for Washburn for next season?

Jeffrey Jones: Nothing short of state. We have seniors coming back. We had a great junior class last year, who are seniors this upcoming year. They are working harder than they ever have been, so they look like they are going to lead us to the state championship.
 

It's good to hear that he's buying in. Still a lot of time to go on this one, obviously.
 

It's good to hear that he's buying in. Still a lot of time to go on this one, obviously.

Agree. IMO to take the major leap the Gophers need the 1000 yard back. To get one in our own backyard is almost too much to hope for.
 

Great news! If we are going to make craft a culture of winning here it starts in the communities that feed into the U.
 

I love it. "I just want to make them better."
 


Kid sounds like the real deal and appears to have a great attitude. To my knowledge, he's the 1st sophomore offered by Kill, so he's obviously got some talent.
 


Not this Jeffrey Jones. His lateral moves are not as good:

 

the kid can't be tackled. He just absorbs hits and keeps his legs pumping. He is going to be a monster. hopefully in maroon and gold!!!
 



I'm kind of surprised this isn't getting a bigger reaction. To me, having the one kid that we've offered in 2014 say he's a likely commit is big news!

Go Gophers!
 

He has tremendous vision, that's the thing that stood out. Great moves. Quick acceleration. Good balance. Good hands. Seemingly tough. Can deliver a blow. One of the teams he made look sick was Edina (I think). He made the competition look as bad as the teams were when I played.
 

I'm kind of surprised this isn't getting a bigger reaction. To me, having the one kid that we've offered in 2014 say he's a likely commit is big news!

Go Gophers!

Because 2014 is a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long ways away...
 

I want Jones to come to the U, but how sad is it he didn't get to attend some junior camps because his coach couldn't fundraise the money for it?

In this world of multimillion dollar high school football stadiums, we've got a teenage kid from a less affluent area who can't make an informed decision to visit programs offering him a full ride. I wish I were the monopoly guy...
 



I want Jones to come to the U, but how sad is it he didn't get to attend some junior camps because his coach couldn't fundraise the money for it?

In this world of multimillion dollar high school football stadiums, we've got a teenage kid from a less affluent area who can't make an informed decision to visit programs offering him a full ride. I wish I were the monopoly guy...

Sad indeed...I hope the young man gets the chance to attend Jr Days and summer camps out of state...It's something every young man should be able to experience..While it would be nice to see him go to "The U," I do hope it just isn't by default...
 

gettin my chili hot, one step at a time keeping the top-end MN talent to stay home...
 

Nice article here: http://recruiting.scout.com/2/1170219.html

Some highlights:
How does a kid come in from middle school and lead a group of juniors and seniors? Jones demonstrated how the last two seasons as he established himself as one of guys the other kids look up to despite his youth.

"He's an all around leader. He's a kid that when coaches say he has "it," he has "it." He's a leader and a motivator. He's a kid that pushes seniors even when he was a freshman; pushes them to work harder and do their best. He's a practice kid, a game kid, a workout, weight room kid, a summer training kid. Everything you do he does to the best of his abilities and he competes at a high level at everything he does."

That offer will go a long way, because Jones is not the type of kid who will forget where he came from or who was first, as evidenced by his resistance to transfer schools in the face of numerous recruiting attempts.

"He was really really happy to get the in-state school. He's a very loyal kid and that's why he's not at your Eden Prairies or your Wayzatas or Cretins or DeLaSalle for that matter. DeLaSalle and Eden Prairie and Holy Angels, they still contact him through, not the coaches themselves, but individuals associated with the program, and try to convince him that he's in a bad place and the grass is greener on the other side, and he's a loyal kid. He's a kid that always wanted to be a Miller. Both his siblings went to Washburn and he grew up wanting to be a Washburn Miller ever since he could remember, so there wasn't a lot of stuff I had to do to convince him or keep him around. I just had to let him know that I would go to bat for him and the rest has kind of been history."
 

Stay home and don't cross that border! This is the first step in making this program successful for years to come.
 


I hope he doesn't commit for awhile so he can stockpile offers. It will make more of an impact in the media and in the rank and file fan's mind if he's pulling in letters from powerhouses. It doesn't mean he's any better of a player if we are his only offer and he commits early versus holding out and committing later in the game, but the perception is vastly different and can create recruiting momentum.
 

I hope he doesn't commit for awhile so he can stockpile offers. It will make more of an impact in the media and in the rank and file fan's mind if he's pulling in letters from powerhouses. It doesn't mean he's any better of a player if we are his only offer and he commits early versus holding out and committing later in the game, but the perception is vastly different and can create recruiting momentum.

Or vice versa he can committ early and start recruiting other talented kids to join him...either way all that matters is he plays and becomes a star for the hometown Maroon and Gold.
 





+1. A gal that only posts Notre Dame info on a Gopher message board. Here's a clue: no one cares.

the inate lack of intelligence here is mildy disturbing only because it's expected of this fan base. heres a clue: 98% of my posts in my time here have been gopher related, morons. It sucks to suck, I know, so i'm OK having to deal with salty attitudes here every once in a while. Look past the word notre dame and you will realize it had barely anything to do with them other than providing an update on a recruit which never happens here because the interest in this program is so unbearably low right now no one cares to even bother. If anything you should be thanking me.
 


In the past decade the Gophers have had three (or more) RB's rush for 1,000 (Maroney, MBII, Pinnex, Russell?). 3 of them played in the NFL.

In the past decade Jerry Kill has coached 4 RB's that have rushed for over 1,000 yards. These players have spent time on NFL rosters. Brandon Jacobs, Deji Karim (Jags/Colts) Arkee Whitlock (Vikes Prac squad), Chad Spann (Steelers-2011).

Jerry Kill is trying to establish an offense that is based on the run game ala Barber/Maroney years. Jeff Jones could be the X factor on offense.

If Jeffery Jones wants to be "the guy" on offense, he will give MN a strong look. Plus the U of MN is a top notch academic institution.

This could happen folks.
 

Oh thank you fan of holier than thou, God's gift to earth Notre Dame. What would we ever do without you.
 

Saluki07 said:
In the past decade the Gophers have had three (or more) RB's rush for 1,000 (Maroney, MBII, Pinnex, Russell?). 3 of them played in the NFL.

In the past decade Jerry Kill has coached 4 RB's that have rushed for over 1,000 yards. These players have spent time on NFL rosters. Brandon Jacobs, Deji Karim (Jags/Colts) Arkee Whitlock (Vikes Prac squad), Chad Spann (Steelers-2011).

Jerry Kill is trying to establish an offense that is based on the run game ala Barber/Maroney years. Jeff Jones could be the X factor on offense.

If Jeffery Jones wants to be "the guy" on offense, he will give MN a strong look. Plus the U of MN is a top notch academic institution.

This could happen folks.

Jerry Kill's success with running backs is relevant. The success of running backs two coaches ago is irrelevant IMO, other than Kill wanting productive runners as every coach does.
 

the inate lack of intelligence here is mildy disturbing only because it's expected of this fan base. heres a clue: 98% of my posts in my time here have been gopher related, morons. It sucks to suck, I know, so i'm OK having to deal with salty attitudes here every once in a while. Look past the word notre dame and you will realize it had barely anything to do with them other than providing an update on a recruit which never happens here because the interest in this program is so unbearably low right now no one cares to even bother. If anything you should be thanking me.

I don't really mind the Notre Dame updates on here but you shouldn't categorize your post as merely giving us an update on a recruit. All of your updates are Notre Dame related.
 




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