Trojans move in on five-star Jones
In addition to its continued pursuit of New Orleans-area star Joe McKnight, Southern California has made a move on another top Pelican State prospect as five-star safety Chad Jones of Baton Rouge (La.) Southern Lab has been getting tons of attention from the Trojans during the past few weeks.
"(USC) jumped in the picture earlier this month," Jones said. They finally got a highlight tape and they called me up and talked to me. I got to talk with (Trojans head coach) Pete Carroll Things are looking good with USC right now."
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Jones, the nation's top-ranked safety prospect, has high interest in the Trojans.
"I always did like USC," he said. "I just never thought they'd come down to Louisiana to find me, but since they came, it's a whole different picture now. I don't know what's going to happen now."
Ken Norton Jr. is recruiting Jones for USC.
"He's a cool dude," Jones said.
Jones has scheduled an official visit to Los Angeles, for the weekend of Dec. 16. It's currently his only scheduled visit, but he has an idea of some of the other schools he will take trips to.
"Florida, Florida State, Miami (Fla.) and I don't know about my last one," he said.
LSU, which has long been thought to be a favorite of Jones' because his brother Al Jones plays for the Tigers, still is strongly in the picture, but may not get an official visit because of the proximity of the LSU campus to Jones' Baton Rouge home.
"LSU is still there," Jones said. "They are still one of my top choices, but I don't know if I am going to take an official visit because I am already in Baton Rouge and because I am over there every weekend."
Jones said that he has discussed two schools with McKnight, who he knows from his playing days in New Orleans. Jones transferred from Saint Augustine High in the Crescent City prior his junior year.
"We talk about USC, we talk about LSU," Jones said.
Jones is the nation's No. 23 overall prospect and the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Louisiana behind McKnight.