3/10/2005 football Edit

Does QB Jones have an early leader

Tim O'Halloran

Rivals100.com Recruiting Analyst

Chicago (Ill.) Morgan Park junior dual-threat quarterback prospect Demetrius Jones (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) made a return engagement to the University of Illinois last weekend for a junior day event, marking the second unofficial visit Jones has made to Champaign this winter.

"I made another trip down to Illinois last weekend," Jones said. "Myself and a few teammates were invited to another junior day event, so we decided to head down to Champaign again to make an unofficial visit."

Jones, who has early offers from Notre Dame, Michigan and Illinois, talked about his return visit this winter to Illinois.

"It seems like the more I visit Illinois the better I like it there. I really get along very well with the coaches at Illinois. They are just very down to Earth, and they really try to relate to me as more than just a football player. I have a really good rapport with all of the coaches and I really enjoyed getting a chance to talk with them again last Saturday."

Jones has also seen more and more schools stepping up it's interest in him this winter.

"I've been getting a lot more mail, especially hand written mail. Just today (Wednesday) I received letters from Tennessee, Duke, Miami (Fla.), Boston College, Louisville, Ohio State, North Carolina, LSU and Notre Dame. It seems like everyday I get letters from more and more schools."

Jones admits that it's flattering to be receiving so much early recruiting interest, yet has Jones even begun to consider which schools would be considered as his early favorites?

"I would say that Illinois is my slight early favorite at this point. I also understand that I'll hopefully have some options to look at and that it's still very early in the recruiting process. I get along well with the staff at Illinois, and that's important to me. I'm just going to take things in and see where things stand during the spring and summer months. I haven't really set any dates or time frame to make my final college choice. I'll decide when it just feels right."