The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/956415
60 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2018 COMMITMENT PROFILE L oganville (Ga.) Grayson three-star offensive tackle Trente Jones vis- ited more than 30 schools as a mem- ber of one of the more talented high school teams in the country, and only one school made him feel like they had to have him. "Michigan treated me as if I was their No. 1 priority — top of the list," Jones said. "That's not always the main thing I'm looking for, but it's the fact that I never said anything about it and that's what they did on their own. "I've been to a lot of schools, and sometimes I just felt like I was kind of there for the show. Sometimes it was almost like I was applying for a job or like I'm supposed to impress them when I'm at their school. "With Michigan, they really im- pressed me, and they made me feel like they wanted me there. That's ul- timately why I made that decision." Grayson director of college foot- ball operations Kenyatta Watson has been involved in Jones' recruitment every step of the way and was very impressed by how Michigan reeled in the 6-5, 293-pound lineman. "We're going to have 18 Power Five kids sign out of the 2019 class. We have a top-10 cornerback, we have [four-star offensive tackle] Wanya Morris, we have the No. 1 linebacker, the No. 1 defensive end. "We always travel everywhere to- gether, and when you have so many highly rated kids, a lot of times Trente hasn't been the focus. Michigan was the first school that showed him that personal love, that one-on-one love. "We've visited 34 schools in two and a half years, and Trente said that Michigan was the one school he's been to that felt like home." It wasn't just attention that made Jones comfortable enough to commit to Michigan. He spent enough time around campus to realize that he'd be more than comfortable in Ann Ar- bor for at least four years. "I don't really mind the heat, but I don't like being sweaty when I'm in the classroom. I sweat a lot," Jones said with a laugh. "I can sit down and it's 71 degrees and I'll start sweating, so I like that Michigan is up north. "Also, even though there weren't a lot of people walking around out- side when I was up there, everyone seemed to have a great mood about life. They may not look like it, but when you talk to them they are hav- ing a great time at Michigan. I really liked the people." As a progressing recruit from the state of Georgia, Jones is going to re- main on the radars of other programs. Michigan fans saw the negative side of an early commitment with Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County four-star outside linebacker Otis Reese, who switched to Georgia on National Signing Day, and are already worried about how Jones' commitment will progress. He's polite and listens to pitches, but doesn't seem to be going anywhere. "I'm just treating every school that talks to me as another opportunity," he explained. "Of course, I'm committed. But at the end of the day, it's all about getting that education and getting the best spot for me and my family. "I just let the other programs do their thing because I'm 100 percent committed to Michigan. Nothing is going to budge me from that." Watson, who has known Jones since he was a little boy, echoed the sentiments. Not only because of how well he knows Jones, but also be- cause of how well new linebackers coach Al Washington recruited the Georgia lineman. "Trente already knew that it was a really good program and school, and it went up when he visited and hung out with Al Washington," Watson ex- plained. "Kudos to Al for the job he did recruiting Trente. Al was always infatuated with Trente even when he was at Cincinnati. "When he got the Michigan job he thought it would be a great fit. Al re- cruited Trente and his mom, and just had to get them on campus. Once they went up, it was over. Trente will sign with the University of Michigan." — Brandon Brown The Wolverines Prioritized Trente Jones And It Paid Off FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Trente Jones is very aggressive and nasty, and definitely likes to finish his blocks. He also comes off of the ball pretty hard and low, and he's got really strong hands. For a junior prospect, he already likes to lock onto guys with his hands, and he doesn't let go. He's not overly long, but he's a good athlete and uses his quick feet to get position and then utilizes his strength and aggressive- ness to finish blocks with an edge. Areas Of Improvement: Jones is already quite proficient as a run blocker, but will definitely have to sharpen his skills as a pass blocker. He doesn't possess overly long arms, but he's a good enough athlete to stay in front of just about anyone. Honing in on a specific position will also help him. He's listed as a tackle, but projects as a guard at the next level with a high-ceiling possibility of playing right tackle. Michigan Player Comparison: Jones compares favorably to former Michigan interior lineman David Baas. He could possibly play tackle at Michigan, but he looks like he'd be more natural on the interior as Baas was. Both Jones and Baas are billed as nasty finishers and had similar builds before arriving at U-M. Baas measured in at 6-6, 295 pounds when he arrived in Ann Arbor, and Jones is cur- rently 6-5, 293 pounds before wrapping up his junior year of high school. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com Rivals.com rates Jones as a three-star pros- pect, the No. 36 player in the Peach State and the No. 35 offensive tackle nationally. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Jones "Michigan treated me as if I was their No. 1 priority — top of the list. That's not always the main thing I'm looking for, but it's the fact that I never said anything about it and that's what they did on their own."