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2016 RECRUITING ISSUE TONY JONES JR. RUNNING BACK 5-10 • 219 IMG ACADEMY ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 21 75 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 37 80 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 23 61 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 187 10 24 MEASURABLES • At The Opening Finals in Beaverton, Ore., last summer, had a time of 4.68 in the 40-yard dash and a 31.1-inch vertical leap. • Benched 295 pounds and squatted 450 pounds at IMG Academy. STATISTICS • During his senior season, rushed for 564 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns in nine games, while adding 190 receiving yards and a score. • Ran for 771 yards (11.7 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns as a junior at IMG Academy. • Racked up 1,145 yards and 12 touchdowns during his sophomore campaign at St. Petersburg (Fla.) Catholic. HONORS • Selected to the All-Pinellas County first team as a sophomore by The Tampa Bay Times. • Named by the Florida Athletic Coaches Asso- ciation to the 3A all-state baseball first team as an outfielder after his junior year. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 9 in San Antonio. • Invited to The Opening at the Nike headquar- ters in Beaverton, Ore., last summer. • Competed in the Rivals Speed & Skills Chal- lenge in Orlando, Fla. • Named the Running Backs MVP at the adidas Georgia Showcase last February. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on March 22, 2015. • Chose the Irish over Florida and Kentucky. • Had offers from Florida, Miami, Ole Miss, Mis- sissippi State, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Pittsburgh, South Carolina and Kentucky. • Recruited primarily by running backs coach Autry Denson and secondarily by associate head coach Mike Denbrock. • Made his official visit to Notre Dame on Oct. 17, 2015. NOTABLE • Born Nov. 24, 1997. • Plans to enroll in the Mendoza College of Business. • His father, Tony Jones Sr., played linebacker at Illinois State (1988-92), where Denbrock (1990-91) and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer (1988-89) served on the coaching staff. 2016 PROJECTION • He is a powerful runner, which could allow him to crack the 2016 rotation in short-yardage and goal-line situations, serving as a complement to senior Tarean Folston and sophomores Josh Adams and Dexter Williams. THEY SAID IT • Head coach Brian Kelly (courtesy UND.com): "With Tony, we are adding a powerful option to our backfield, and he will provide the 'thunder' aspect of our two Florida running back signees." • Running backs coach Autry Denson: "He em- bodies everything that we try to do here at Notre Dame. It's very rare that you find a high school running back that's so mature that he takes pride in his game so much that he wants to block. … From a maturity standpoint, really takes pride in his total game. That's what he'll bring to the table for us." • BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Jones is a powerful, one-cut runner with a strong frame. He uses his strong lower body and leg drive to churn out extra yards. He combines patience, allowing the line blocks to develop, with decisiveness and anticipation in the open field."