Name: Mike Jones
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 207 lbs.
High school: Edgewater High School in Orlando, FL
Position: Weakside linebacker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #27
Last year: I ranked Jones #49 and said he'd be a backup SAM. He played special teams in 7 games and made 3 tackles.
Jones was an early enrollee in 2009 who I expected to contribute in a more meaningful way due to the shortage of scholarship players. Instead, he was exclusively a special teamer. For some odd reason, the coaching staff burned his redshirt so he could play about half a season on coverage units and make 3 tackles. That seems like a waste of a year of eligibility, but obviously I'm just a guy on the internet.
Anyway, Jones made a transtion mid-season from SAM to the weakside linebacker position, at least nominally backing up Jonas Mouton. He'll enter fall camp anywhere between the third- and fifth-string weakside backer. Mouton will start, but J.B. Fitzgerald, Kevin Leach, and perhaps Kenny Demens will figure into the depth chart. Jones is also pretty light at only 207 lbs., so he'll probably need to spend another year or two adding weight.
Prediction for 2010: Regular special teams contributor
Wasn't Jones playing second string WLB during the Spring Game? If so, was this because of injuries? Or were coaches just throwing kids around?
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous 8:04 a.m.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, JB Fitzgerald is the first sub at all three linebacker positions, backing up Craig Roh, Jonas Mouton, and Obi Ezeh. If Mouton were to go down with an injury, Fitzgerald would be the first one off the bench. But during the spring game, the coaches were getting Fitzgerald reps at OLB (Roh's spot) because he hadn't played there in the past.
The second unit at LB would be Fitzgerald (Quick), Demens (MIKE), and Jones (WILL). But Fitzgerald is the utility man.
Thanks, that cleared a few things up for me. Another question, how do you see the long term outlook for the linebacker position? Do you think next year (should we keep this base formation) the probably lineup will be Fitzgerald(WILL)-Demens(MIKE)-Roh(Quick)? Do you see any recruits we're going after now, like Frost, Jones, or (less likely) Grant cracking the starting lineup next year?
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous 8:50 a.m.
ReplyDeleteI think your lineup for 2011 is accurate. I don't think any potential 2011 commitments would crack the starting lineup. It's not out of the question for one or more to see the field in 2011, but true freshman starting linebackers are rare. Grant would be the most likely to start, and that's mostly just due to his size - Frost and Jones would need to bulk up in order to start.