The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
MARCH 2022 THE WOLVERINE 65 2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE KODY JONES DEFENSIVE BACK 5-11 • 175 GERMANTOWN H.S. MEMPHIS, TENN. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 273 29* 10 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 259 27* 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 22# 11 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 21^ 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 28# 11 * Ranked as a cornerback; # ranked as an athlete; ^ranked as a safety HONORS • Selected to play in the 2021 Auto Zone Liberty Bowl High School All- Star game in Memphis, a matchup of the top local senior football players. • Helped the Red Devils finish 8-3 his senior year. • Named a Class 6 first-team All-State selection by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association and the Tennessee Football Coaches Association. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan Feb. 5, 2021, after picking up his offer from the Maize and Blue in January 2021. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Tennessee, Illinois and Florida. • Recruited by defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale. DID YOU KNOW? • Is an early enrollee at Michigan. • Played two years of varsity foot- ball at Fairley before transferring to Germantown for his junior and senior seasons. • Born Dec. 5, 2003. THEY SAID IT • On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "The thing that stands out with him is he's a really versatile two-way athlete who makes plays as a receiver and defensive back. He has receiver ball skills at DB. He's instinctive and can cover. He has pure DB cover skills with receiver ball skill. With that kind of versatility, you can see him in multiple spots" BY TIM VERGHESE When talking about Michigan's defen- sive back haul in the 2022 class, it can be easy to forget about Germantown (Tenn.) High defensive back Kody Jones. After all, he's not the crowning gem of the class like Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South five-star cornerback Will Johnson, or a Signing Day flip from Clemson like Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star safety Keon Sabb. In a signing class that included six de- fensive backs, it's safe to say the battle for playing time will be fierce. But if there's one thing to know about Jones, he craves the competition. "We want guys that are always com- peting," Germantown head coach Gene Robinson said. "Kody is a competitor. I call him a dog. He's gifted. He can do some special things on the field, but his heart and willingness to compete sets him apart." Jones committed to Michigan back in February 2021, just one month after land- ing an offer from the Wolverines. "Who doesn't want to play under Jim Harbaugh?" Jones asked with a laugh. "I know the tradition is big. Michigan has been winning for years. Michigan plays in the Big Ten. Michigan just seems like something I want to experience." Jones committed to the Wolverines back when Maurice Linguist was the de- fensive backs coach. But Linguist's tenure at Michigan lasted only 107 days — just months after he was hired, he was offered to be the next head coach at the University of Buffalo. Jones stuck with his commitment amidst the position coach change and quickly built a bond with new defensive backs mentor Steve Clinkscale, whom he was familiar with from the coach's time at Kentucky. "Coach Clink is my guy," Jones said. "We talk a lot about football and stuff outside of football. We can relate to each other so much that we almost think alike. Sometimes, I feel like he knows what I'm thinking. It's crazy." Jones also stuck with his commitment when schools like home-state Tennessee were pushing for him to flip. He even took some visits while committed, but ulti- mately he stuck with Michigan, thanks to a continuous effort from Clinkscale and the coaching staff to make Jones know he was valued, even as players such as John- son, Sabb and four-star Concord (Ca- lif.) De La Salle defensive back Zeke Berry joined the class. "They did an amazing job recruiting Kody and building that relationship with him," Robinson said. "Any time you come into SEC land and get a guy like Kody, that speaks volumes of the job they are doing." Jones arrived on campus in January alongside Johnson and Sabb, and he will look to compete for playing time among a crowded defensive back room. For some, the competition can be daunting, but Jones will embrace it — just like he always has. ❑ Kody Jones Will Not Shy Away From The Competition Michigan fended off late efforts from schools such as Illinois and Tennessee to land four-star Germantown (Tenn.) High cor- nerback Kody Jones. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2022 Projection Jones has versatility like Zeke Berry but was recruited as more of a true nickel. He likely won't contribute much until later in his career due to the size of the DB class. However, the early enrollee could see time on special teams and potentially even on defense with a strong spring. He could also be a running back if de- fense doesn't work out. consensus