Junior impressed by Auburn
Despite possessing several offers, Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson junior defensive end Jarontay Jones claims to have no leader. That said, he has no problem identifying which college has been the most fun to visit this far.
"Auburn is my favorite out of all the places," Jones said. "Every time I go there, it feels like family. The campus, everything about Auburn - I just like the whole scenery of the university."
Advertisement
Auburn is one of nine schools that have offered Jones, he said. Florida State, USF and Virginia were the most recent to pull the trigger, joining Miami, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Tennessee. Georgia, Georgia Tech and Florida also have expressed heavy interest.
"Right now, I'm open," Jones said.
Who is recruiting Jones the hardest thus far?
"I'd say it would really have to be out of Auburn, Georgia Tech and Oregon," he said.
Besides Auburn, which Jones has been to twice, he also has made unofficial visits to both Georgia Tech and Tennessee. On Saturday, he was expected to take in junior day with the Yellow Jackets.
"I like it out there at Georgia Tech," Jones said. "I was up there for a junior all-star game. I stayed on campus for a week. The first day I went there, I went on a tour of the campus with some of my teammates. I met [head coach] Paul Johnson. The tour was really neat. I really enjoyed it."
Jones also likes what he has seen in Knoxville.
"I went there in the ninth grade," Jones said. "I went to a camp there and really started liking them. I really like the campus and all the facilities. And the coaches. [Defensive line coach Chuck Smith] is really like a mentor to me. I really like that school."
As a junior, Jones recorded 90 total tackles, with 24 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Additionally, he said he carries a 3.2 GPA.
After today's trip to Georgia Tech, Jones is hopeful he can attend other upcoming junior days. He also plans to do some traveling this spring so he can check out a few college spring practices.
"I'm definitely going to the in-state schools," Jones said.