Jones finally flips — picks Florida
Emory Jones is a Florida Gator.
"I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and praying and I believe God made everything to be the way it is. The last couple days have been hectic, I am ready to get this over with and I am going to Florida," said Jones.
After being committed to Urban Meyer and Ohio State for almost 15 months, the 6-foot-4, 197 pound dual-threat quarterback has flipped to Dan Mullen and he is headed for the Swamp in January.
The chatter for months has been that Jones would not end up at Ohio State with everything pointing to Alabama, but as soon as Mullen took over at Florida, contact was made and the official visit last weekend sealed the deal.
Alabama bowed out of this race and it was Florida State that actually challenged the Gators the last couple of days.
If you didn't know, Mullen was the first coach to offer Jones in the spring of 2015 when he was the head coach at Mississippi State. Jones visited Starkville, he camped with the Bulldogs, so this relationship goes way back. That played into this.
Rivals has heard that, along with Mullen's success with quarterbacks, Florida's quarterback situation and it Florida being an SEC school with most opponents close to home where his family would be able to see him play were keys in his decision.
Most have been waiting for the time that Jones would pull his name off the Buckeye commitment list. It has been in his mind for some time. It probably started back in the summer, before his senior year started at Franklin (Ga.) Heard County after visiting Alabama.
Once Ohio State took a commitment from quarterback Matthew Baldwin earlier this month, Jones took notice on Twitter.
This is a big, maybe it should be huge win for the Gators. They have had quarterback issues in recent years and Jones could step on the field immediately and make an impact.
He has a good frame at 6-foot-4 and around 185 pounds. In Mullen's offense, the quarterback takes some hits and Jones has shown that type of toughness in high school when lining up at safety. He did not just stand around back there, he laid some licks out on defense.
As a passer, he has a live arm that can drive the ball down the field. He can still improve his accuracy and consistency, but he has the tools to be a potential star in the SEC. Mullen has had success with quarterbacks over the years, dating back to Alex Smith at Utah, so there is no reason Jones can't be next.
This is just a home run for the Gators. It was Alabama, Alabama and Alabama for the longest, but just over the last two weeks, Florida made its move and it closed things out with the No. 2-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country.
Jones finished with over 3,000 yards total offense in 2017. He has over 2,200 yards passing and a total of 19 touchdowns.
