The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/197085
tracking the PACK Offensive Lineman Switches His Commitment To NC State N C State needed some help along the offensive line in this recruiting class, and it found some Sept. 30 when one-time Mississippi State pledge Tyler Jones of Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson High opted to join the Wolfpack instead. "It was a better fit for me academically and personally," Jones said. "My parents liked it a lot. It was where I wanted to go when I first got the offer." Jones was supposed to visit NCSU in the spring or summer, but spots filled up before he could make it to Raleigh. However, after a re-evaluation of the class, NCSU reached out to Jones again in September. He had committed to the Bulldogs June 24 over reported offers from NC State, Michigan State, Ohio State, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wake Forest, among others. Jones made an unofficial visit to NCSU Sept. 28 to watch the Pack beat Central Michigan, and the trip helped sway his decision toward NC State. "It just felt like home," Jones noted. "I'm done now. It feels good." The 6-4, 285-pound Jones is rated by Rivals.com as a three-star prospect, the No. 47 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 48 player from Georgia. He becomes NC State's 22nd verbal pledge in the 2014 class, and the sixth from Georgia. Rivals.com ranks five of the Peach ■ Class Of 2014 NC State Commitments Name Pos. Ht. Tony Adams OL 6-1 Garrett Bradbury TE 6-3 Bradley Chubb DE 6-3 A.J. Cole K 6-4 Cole Cook TE 6-5 Coult Culler LB 6-5 B.J. Hill DT 6-3 Bo Hines WR 6-1 Deonte Holden DE 6-5 Justin Jones DE 6-3 Tyler Jones OL 6-4 Kalen McCain DB 6-1 Jalan McClendon QB 6-4 Deshaywn Middleton DT 6-2 Germaine Pratt LB 6-3 Terronne Prescod OL 6-5 Jaylen Samuels ATH 6-0 Eric Shute OL 6-5 Marcelias Sutton RB 5-9 Micah Till TE 6-5 Maurice Trowell WR 5-11 Dexter Wright S 6-2 Wt. 318 240 220 215 229 230 262 190 220 275 280 175 198 295 200 336 225 275 175 260 172 201 Hometown/High School Charlotte/Independence Charlotte/Charlotte Christian Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove College Park, Ga./Woodward Academy Carrollton, Ga./Carrollton Wilmington, N.C./Laney Oakboro, N.C./West Stanly Charlotte/Charlotte Christian Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha Austell, Ga./South Cobb Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson Durham, N.C./Hillside Charlotte/West Mecklenburg Winston-Salem, N.C./Parkland High Point, N.C./High Point Central Decatur, Ga./Columbia Charlotte/Mallard Creek Glen Ellyn/Glenbard West Warsaw, N.C./James Kenan Upper Marlboro, Md./Wise Durham, N.C./Southern Durham Wilson, N.C./Hunt Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson standout Tyler Jones, who originally committed to Mississippi State, is ranked by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit, the No. 48 prospect in the Peach State and the No. 47 offensive tackle nationally. photo by ken martin State natives committed to NCSU among the top 85 recruits in the state. Two of those Georgia natives, offensive lineman Terronne Prescod of Columbia's Decatur High and defensive lineman Justin Jones of South Cobb High in Austell, are friends of Jones and visited NCSU with him. Both Prescod and Tyler Jones were among the offensive linemen that competed at the Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour stop in Atlanta in April. Jones was listed as the No. 7 offensive performer at the camp. (Prescod was No. 3.) "When he matched up against some of the camp's most talented players, Jones rose to the occasion, winning a pair of reps against highly rated defensive tackle Andrew Williams," Rivals.com observed. "He's terrific at making adjustments in consecutive reps and appears to be a very quick learner. Also, his willingness to line up and compete with the best is very good sign." Williams is a four-star prospect from Eagle's Landing Christian High School in McDonough, Ga., and is considering offers from national powers Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas and USC, among many others. At the conclusion of the Rivals Camp Series, the recruiting reporting service ranked Jones as the 25th-best offensive linemen that they observed during their 15 events across the country. Prescod was listed at No. 10 on that same list. Defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Ryan Nielsen recruited Jones for NC State. — Matt Carter 14 ■ the wolfpacker 14-16,18-20.Tracking The Pack.indd 14 10/22/13 12:39 PM