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Sunday, February 7, 2021

Kody Jones, Wolverine

 

Kody Jones (image via 247 Sports)

Germantown (TN) Germantown safety Kody Jones committed to Michigan on Friday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Auburn, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, and Tennessee, among others.

Jones is 5'11" and 180 lbs.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 81 grade, #22 ATH, #280 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 5.8 grade, #13 S
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #19 ATH

Hit the jump for more on his commitment.


Much like fellow Tennessean Taylor Groves, Jones also was not offered until Michigan's new defensive staff came on board. Co-defensive coordinator Mo Linguist offered Jones right after getting hired - before the hiring was even announced - and Jones pledged to the Wolverines within a couple weeks. Already having been courted by numerous Power Five schools, it's a little surprising that he picked Michigan on such short notice and without having visited Ann Arbor.

Jones's highlights come from his sophomore year, so his growth since then can't really be assessed. To me he looks like a nickel corner in the mold of former Michigan cornerback Blake Countess (who played well at Michigan before transferring and playing safety at Auburn and then in the NFL). He's compact and packs a punch, with very good change-of-direction skills and good top-end speed.

On the negative side, Jones is perhaps a little lacking in ball skills. He's great with the ball in his hands, but his hand-eye coordination is sometimes a little lacking. He also needs to improve his tracking of the ball in the air. Of course, these things could have improved since his sophomore year of high school, but without junior film, it's hard to tell.

Overall, I like Jones and think he could be an early contributor at the next level. He could be a nickel corner or a safety, or even play outside corner in a pinch. Physically, he looks ready to play so it should just be a matter of mental preparedness and what the depth chart looks like when he arrives.

Michigan now has six commitments in the 2022 class.

TTB Rating: I will not assign a TTB Rating until I wrap up the 2021 class.

7 comments:

  1. Sudden announcement, no visit, no local ties...well let's just hope Michigan has a strong season.

    -Lank

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  2. Is he being recruited to play on defense? Because after watching his highlights I'm thinking he should be on offense. He is fire on offense!

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    Replies
    1. He's definitely being recruited to play on defense, and that's where he prefers to play.

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  3. After watching him again, I think it would be a waste of his offensive talent to play him on defense.

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  4. Alright.
    He sure is fun on offense though.

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  5. I don't know, I'd want him on the field with Giles Jackson, playing offense. It would be hard for a defense to key on both of them.

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    Replies
    1. It would definitely be nice if Michigan could put two or three guys like that on the field at one time. I do like the 6'3" or 6'4" guys who can make plays on the outside.

      The guys who don't give Michigan an advantage are the second and third and fourth tight ends.

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