JUCO DE commit Jaden Jones enjoys OV, ready to arrive at Florida State

Florida State is bringing in a proficient defensive entrance as one of many principal options in #Tribe23. A prospect with as a lot potential as anybody is the lengthy and rangy Jaden Jones – who took his official go to to Tallahassee over the weekend. 

READ MORE: Seminoles a possible match for four-star security Isaac Smith

Jones was certainly one of three official guests on campus to witness Florida State defeat Florida within the common season finale. Previous to departing on Sunday, he recapped the expertise with reporters.

“Initially, I simply needed to say shout out to all of the coaches that introduced me out right here and simply confirmed like to me within the Florida State household,” Jones mentioned to NoleGameday’s Dustin Lewis. “I admire y’all staying out right here. I simply wanna say I am very happy with being a Seminole. , I will be right here January sixth, so I am simply able to get it began. It was an actual nice expertise. Very loving, caring, folks have been open, nice expertise on Friday with the sport, got here out with that. So, yeah, it was simply very heartfelt.”

The Alabama native solely took one journey to FSU earlier than committing over the summer season. This was his first alternative to see a sport in individual and the expertise lived as much as the hype.

“For me, I got here in the summertime when it was off campus,” Jones mentioned. “So college was out, I feel. So for me, this time, I noticed the amenities and stuff, so this time I needed to see how the folks have been, just like the atmosphere, how the love was gonna be. In order that they did an important job doing that.”

“It was loopy. I by no means skilled nothing like that,” Jones continued. “Like I have been to Alabama, Auburn, I have been to sport days there, and it was nothing like that, it was a unique ambiance. So it was undoubtedly loopy.”

As soon as the Seminoles completed off the Gators within the fourth quarter, Jones and different recruits went into the locker room. They acquired to witness head coach Mike Norvell’s postgame speech and see the rock get damaged.

“So after the sport, we went within the locker room,” Jones mentioned. “They only got here in like one after the other. It was actual like brotherhood. They have been hugging one another. It was love. All people within the locker room, you possibly can really feel it prefer it was actual. Coach Norvell got here in with the vitality. I do not know, It is like a household, it is actually household.”

The defensive ends have carried out admirably all through the season. Jared Verse and Derrick McClendon each recorded 5 tackles and half a deal with for loss towards Florida. Redshirt freshman Patrick Payton is likely one of the nominees for ACC Defensive Rookie of the Yr. The extent of success has stood out to him.

“They have been doing good. I talked with a few them, Pat Payton after the sport and stuff,” Jones mentioned. “All of them, you recognize, study from one another, and hopefully I can do the identical factor, study from these guys, all study from one another and develop collectively. I’ve been seeing [Jared] Verse doing good, so I’ve undoubtedly been listening to him lots. He was a extremely good participant, so him and [Derrick] McClendon. Yeah, I watch these two lots.”

Certainly one of his favourite elements of the go to was getting an opportunity to take a look at Champions Corridor – the dorm the place he’ll ultimately reside in Tallahassee. Outdoors of Payton, he spent quite a lot of time attending to know a trio of true freshmen on the line of defense; Antavious Woody, Dante Anderson, and Bishop Thomas.

“I nonetheless acquired lots to see out right here,” Jones mentioned. “It is lots to see out right here, however most likely going over to Champions Corridor, the dorms, seeing the place I will be staying at in a number of months. However, you recognize, all of the gamers dwell over there, so I met a few them over there. So it was, it was an actual enjoyable time over there.”

The Seminoles have a plan for a way they ultimately need to use Jones of their defensive finish rotation. Coach John Papuchis broke it down for him.

“They mainly have a three-down defensive finish set,” Jones mentioned. “They prefer to swap them out and in. They prefer to rotate. I feel JP mentioned they love to do, like final yr they did like 35 performs every for 2 rotations as an finish set. In order that’s just about what he mentioned about that.”

The Hutchinson Neighborhood Faculty product additionally met with Director of Power and Conditioning, Josh Storms. The mainstay beneath Norvell and essential side of the event of this system had a presentation prepared for him. Operating again Trey Benson tore his ACL and different ligaments lower than two years in the past and is within the tail finish of a profession yr.

Storms confirmed Jones earlier than and after photos of Benson since he is arrived at Florida State. The plan is for Jones to ultimately add 20+ kilos to his body, which nonetheless has ample room so as to add good weight.

“He [Josh Storms] did a bit of presentation with me yesterday. So it was him and the entire employees,” Jones mentioned. “We have been simply going over stuff and we was speaking about me coming off an damage too and he was simply displaying me photos earlier than and after as a result of Trey Benson got here off damage with the ACL too. And he did an actual good job with that, him and the employees. So it simply was spectacular. He was fired about me coming in, placing some weight on.” 

Previous to the conclusion of his go to on Sunday afternoon, Jones sat down for a gathering with head coach Mike Norvell in his workplace. The message was easy and properly obtained by each events.

“It was actual good,” Jones mentioned. “He was opening up with simply being a folks individual, letting me know that he acquired me and I acquired him. So long as he acquired me, I acquired him. That is all. That is it. Actual good.”

It has been about ten weeks since Jones had ACL surgical procedure for an damage that he suffered within the second sport of the season. He’ll be restricted within the spring however is on monitor to be totally cleared for contact earlier than fall camp.

“In springtime, I will be non-contact, so I will be doing quite a lot of drills and stuff,” Jones mentioned. “However full contact, I will be good for June proper earlier than camp, so I might be good to go proper earlier than the season.”

At this stage, Jones is not speaking with or planning to go to different faculties. He says that he is “locked in” with Florida State and can arrive in Tallahassee on January 6.

The 6-foot-5, 232-pound defensive finish is considered the No. 4 JUCO prospect, the No. 1 JUCO DL, and the No. 3 JUCO recruit from the state of Alabama within the 2023 class. Jones is predicted to have 4 years of eligibility remaining.

Florida State’s 2023 class at the moment holds 16 verbal commitments and is considered the No. 17 haul within the nation.

READ MORE: Florida State flips four-star quarterback Brock Glenn from Ohio State

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