FAYETTEVILLE — When ESPN 4-star junior quarterback Caden Jones made his second visit to the University of Arkansas and his latest trip to Fayetteville, his mother accompanied him and left thoroughly impressed.
Jones, 6-3, 185 pounds, of Irvine (Calif.) Crean Lutheran, visited Arkansas in March with his father, Steve, and left planning another visit in June.
His mother, Stacy, wanted to see what her son and husband were raving about from the spring visit and she left equally impressed with her first visit to the state after spending Wednesday on campus.
Her son has more than 50 football scholarship offers, including ones from Arkansas, Oregon, Georgia, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and others, while also having basketball offers from Washington and Arizona State.
“I was surprised at how beautiful the area is,” Stacy Jones said. “What was really exciting for me, is I’m a visual person and seeing the rolling hills, the green lawn and fields and trees and the different shades of green. Just the detail in keeping up and maintaining the city. There’s no trash on the ground.”
Another highlight was visiting the Jerry and Gene Jones Student-Athlete Success Center where she learned of the academic support the athletes receive. The people and coaches at Arkansas also stood out to her.
“Everybody is extremely friendly and caring and humble and authentic and genuine,” Jones said. “I was blown away with the visit and speaking with the coaches and learning more about the trajectory of their vision of Caden as a mom.
“That’s my biggest concern is the relationship the coaches establish with my son because at the end of the day, yes, he’s a student-athlete and his grades are super important for him to maintain his athletic career. It’s important for me these coaches treat him as I would like to see him treated when he arrives and help develop him into the man I see him capable of becoming.”
Jones’ biggest concerns in choosing the right school for her son is to find a place where he would receive support and guidance while looking out for his well-being. Arkansas appears to fit the criteria, she said.
“I had conversations with all of the coaches and they were authentic and genuine,” Jones said. “I could simply relate with them because they just had a sense of vision is maybe what I’m saying in how they plan to put their arms around Caden and make it an experience of a lifetime for him.”
After she along with her son and husband met with Razorback offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, she said she felt a connection with Petrino, who earned a degree in physical education with a minor in mathematics from Carroll College in Montana.
“I immediately related with him as he was speaking with us,” she said. “I realized mathematicians are very accurate with their words. Everything in math is black and white and if you can be as equally accurate with your words, you’re able to acquire trust with the people that maybe you wouldn’t be able to have if you weren’t as accurate.”
Stacy Jones does philanthropy work for victims of human trafficking and hosts Hot Summers Night, a yearly fundraiser. In a news release from 2024, it was reported the event had raised more than $7.4 million in the previous five years.
A conversation with Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman revealed an impressive coaching resume and an ability to develop players while finding him to be down-to-earth and humble.
“He just wants to serve,” Jones said. “He just wants to serve the community, just wants to serve the kids. So when Coach was talking about he said he liked to serve, that’s his mission is to serve. I completely related with that.”
She also found another side of Pittman that was relatable when the head coach talked about the time when he and his mother Jackie were on the front porch of their home. He said his Cherokee mother spoke of the scenery from the porch was ever-changing and how that influenced his coaching.
“The coach’s poignant moment with his mother on their front porch, overlooking the serene lake and majestic mountains, resonated deeply with me,” Jones said. “It captured a profound connection between parent and child, filled with appreciation for the beauty in their shared observations.
“As she points out the airplane soaring above and the bird gliding nearby, the scene comes alive, illustrating the dynamic nature of life itself — ever in motion, ever-changing. Coach conveyed that he draws on this cherished memory to inspire his athletes, helping them visualize plays on the football field.”
Jones shared how the story of Pittman and his mother was similar to how she would engage Caden and his older brother Carter, a linebacker at Arizona, during their childhood.
“I found a parallel in my own experiences as a parent,” she said. “When my children were young, I made it a point to share our daily plans with them, explaining our errands and the time each would take. This approach allowed them to feel engaged in our journey, creating a clear picture of our day. The only surprise was a sweet ice cream treat at the end — an honor for their patience and understanding.”
Email Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
