Rivals250 DE Saivion Jones commits to LSU

LSU's suddenly surging 2021 recruiting class added a new piece on Wednesday evening and Coach Ed Orgeron didn't have to look much further than his backyard to find it.

Saivion Jones, a Rivals250 defensive end from nearby St. James (La.) High School in the River Parishes, committed to LSU. The Tigers offered the four-star prospect last October about a month into a wildly productive junior campaign. Florida, Florida State, Mississippi State, Virginia, Baylor, West Virginia and Texas A&M were all fighting with LSU for Jones' pledge.

“He is a sponge," St. James' state championship-winning coach Robert Valdez said of Jones. "He does what you teach him and I believe he still has tremendous upside."

Jones is the 12th member of LSU's 2021 recruiting haul that sits at No. 7 nationally in the Rivals team rankings. Jones, the No. 232 overall player in the country, is a top-10 weak-side defensive end and the No. 7-ranked prospect in Louisiana.

Jones is the second Louisiana native in the Tigers' class, joining West Monroe's Peyton Todd. He joins Garrett Nussmeier, JoJo Earle, Khari Gee and Landon Jackson as recent four-stars to commit to LSU since the onset of the global CoVid-19 pandemic.

Jones has been an ultra-productive defensive end for St. James (La.) High School the past two seasons. Last season as a junior, Jones recorded 102 total tackles, including 17 tackles for loss, to go along with 13 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, four batted-down passes and two forced fumbles.

In a 17-game stretch between his sophomore and junior campaigns, Jones amassed 26 total sacks. He finished last season with seven more quarterback sacks and has a combined 33 sacks over his past two varsity seasons. In addition to that, Jones also reeled in a touchdown pass and recovered two blocked punts while playing on special teams.

Jones earned District 9-3A Defensive MVP honors and was a member of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 3A All-State Team. He was also a guiding force on St. James' perfect 15-0 season culminating in the program's first state championship since 1979 last December.

It is also worth noting that Jones is a three-sport standout. In addition to being a productive defensive end for the Wildcats on the football field, Jones is also a star on the basketball and track and field teams. Last year, in his first year competing in track, Jones had the following marks: shot put (41' 6"); discus (120' 2") and high jump (5' 10").

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound rush-end is long with a noticeable wingspan that allows Jones to wrangle up quarterbacks and ball-carriers and clog up passing lanes while he's in pursuit. Jones does an excellent job of finishing as a pass-rusher, but when he doesn't, he makes a ton of plays by clouding opposing passer's visions with his arms.

Jones is a disruptive, powerful and explosive force off the edge and he's built for first-year LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini's 4-3 scheme. He hustles off the edge with a fantastic ability to bend and dip around the corner and is a strong closer. He possesses quick, violent hands and pursues with a ton of raw power. There are times on film where Jones appears unblockable as he chases down quarterbacks.

Jones' raw strength is a promising attribute as he continues to add more muscle and thickness to his frame. In the run game, Jones already can throw blockers to the wayside and get to the ball-carrier, allowing for plenty of big, disruptive plays behind the line of scrimmage.

That's complemented by Jones' exceptional short-area quickness to flip directions in an instant as he rushes the passer. His athleticism is glaring as he makes a ton of stops out in the flats and down the line of scrimmage. His combination of speed off the edge with quick hips makes for a natural speed-rusher to plug in as a weak-side end in a four-man front.

Jones will need to add more pass-rush techniques to his arsenal when he arrives at LSU. He'll need to continue to bulk up his frame without losing too much of that coveted speed. Jones is raw, but has been exceptionally productive over the past two years as the stats and notable victories would prove.