WR Seth Jones commits to Baylor over Texas A&M

Seth Jones gave an early commitment to Boston College to take his attention off of recruiting, but the topic resurfaced again this summer as Baylor and Texas A&M entered the picture.

The three-star Shadow Creek (Texas) wide receiver eventually backed off his pledge to the out-of-state Eagles and made camp appearances in both Waco and College Station, leaving both visits with offers in hand.

Jones said picking Baylor over the Aggies was an easy decision because of the need for reinforcements at wide receiver in Waco. The Bears hold a commitment from Adonis McCarty and could be in store for some major attrition after the 2019 football season, which caught Jones' attention in a big way.

Of Baylor's now 13 commitments in its 2020 haul, Jones is the ninth from the Lone Star State and a part of a class that has heavily targeted Texas and Louisiana for 12 of 13 total spots thus far.

Jones gave an early commitment to Boston College as one of the key pieces on a St. Pius X offense that centered around now-Arizona quarterback Grant Gunnell. Jones was a dynamic pass-catcher and a safety valve for Gunnell, which put him on the radar for several in-state schools, as well as Boston College.

As his first Power 5 overture, Jones didn't want to jump on board.

After more than seven months as a Boston College commitment, Jones began to explore his in-state interests a bit more closely. He camped at Baylor and left with an offer and the full attention of the coaching staff, which wanted a dynamic slot receiver to plug into their offense as early as next season.

Jones also camped in College Station, where he worked out and turned heads playing defensive back. Texas A&M followed Baylor's lead with an offer to Jones -- as an athlete -- and was able to get the Houston-area prospect back on campus several times leading into his early August commitment date.

Weighing two in-state powers against one another, Baylor quickly established itself as the favorite for the three-star receiver. For one, Jones was more inclined to play on the offensive side of the ball at the next level. The Baylor staff had that edge, plus made a stronger push since the spring before offering and then kicked it up a notch after getting Jones on campus a few times.

"I first realized I wanted to go to Baylor pretty soon after they offered me. Right away, I felt the love."

"It wasn't really a tough decision. All along, I knew I wanted to go to Baylor. I just wanted to see what else Texas A&M had to offer before making a big-time decision like that."

"Coach Frisman Jackson, the wide receivers coach at Baylor, texts me every single day. The same with Coach Kirk Bryant and Coach Joey McGuire. The love that Baylor showed was just different from A&M."

"Gaining these other offers (this summer) made me realize that I committed (to Boston College) too early. I wanted to explore my options and see what other schools had to offer."

"Baylor had more of a need for wide receivers. As of right now, they don't have any 2020 wide receiver commits in their class and they are losing two or three after this year, so hopefully, I can come in and play right away."

Jones is a dynamic athlete that's been able to wear multiple hats in multiple offenses during his time at Strake Jesuit and St. Pius X, and eventually will land a role in the Shadow Creek offense this fall.

At just under 6-feet tall and 177 pounds with a verified 4.47-second 40, 4.21 shuttle time and 34.4-inch vertical, Jones is a versatile pass-catcher best suited to make plays as a slot receiver but has a wide-enough range of skills that he can also be effective split out wide.

Jones has the speed to stretch the field vertically and consistently slips by defensive backs to create separation. He's able to do that both as the outside or slot receiver and has reliable hands to pluck the ball out of the air and over the outstretched arms of defensive backs in coverage.

Jones has a plus skill-set geared for the slot. As a junior at St. Pius X, Jones was Gunnell's safety blanket in the short art of the field, running primarily crossing routes and catching balls over the middle, in traffic and successfully fought holes in the defense to move the chains. He has strong hands to win on contested balls and make catches away from his body near the sidelines.

Jones' ability to run crisp routes with good footwork and separate in coverage will translate nicely in a slot receiver role.

This spring, Jones transitioned to be the featured outside receiver. The staff found creative ways for Jones to stretch the field vertically due to his knack for easily getting downfield and running crisp, clean routes and getting open. There was an influx of isolation plays designed for Jones in the spring -- on screens, passes in the flats -- designed to get Jones in space and let him eat up yards after the catch. He's quicker than he is fast, which is critical to be effective in the open field.