Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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NFL, so that's why he committed," Jones Sr. said. "Coach Denson showed him a film of all of the notable running backs that played at Notre Dame and then them playing at the next level, and he got a kick out of that. "Most kids want to make it to the next level, but you have a better chance of being a brain surgeon than you do a professional football player. I think with him knowing that Den- brock was there for him, and Denson being from Florida and having played professionally, that was the difference. He wanted to see that route to suc- cess." Jones picked Notre Dame over other scholarship offers from Miami, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Kentucky, Pitts- burgh, South Florida, Indiana and Mississippi State. His father explained that the original plan for the family was to take a tour of the south and then make a decision once they had seen all the schools on his list, but FILM ANALYSIS Strengths A versatile player … He can pass block, he can catch the ball and he can run in between the tackles … He's quick in and out of cuts with the ball in his hand … Has loose hips, and has the ability to work east and west, but prefers to go north and south, which isn't the case with a lot of running backs … Has played in multiple sets and even some fullback … Strong upper body with a nice frame that excels in pass protection. Weakenesses He is quick, but he's not going to win a track race — his game is being physical, and he knows that … Needs to improve his footwork coming out of the backfield … Fails to follow his blockers at times — but that is coachable, and he still has above average vision … Plays upright at times and could get his pad level lower down the field. — Andrew Ivins