Mike

Jones Jr.

Just a couple weeks after Jones (6'0/220) announced his decision to enter the transfer portal, he has decided to move from one “Death Valley” to another. The redshirt sophomore, who will give LSU some much-needed experience at linebacker, accounted for 30 total tackles (4.0 for loss), 0.5 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble in ten games (seven starts) last season. Whether or not Jones can play this fall will depend upon whether or not the NCAA passes the waiver that would grant all first-time transfers immediate eligibility. The vote, which was supposed to take place in January, was postponed.

Jones (6'0/220) started seven of the ten games that he appeared in this past season, tallying 30 total tackles (4.0 for loss), 0.5 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble. The redshirt sophomore played well enough that Pro Football Focus named him a second team all-ACC selection at season’s end. Whether or not Jones can play immediately at his next stop will depend upon either his graduating from Clemson or the NCAA passing the one-time transfer waiver. Originally expected to be passed in January, the NCAA has pushed back the vote.

“He could play, he may not play. I don’t know,” Clemson HC Dabo Swinney said on Tuesday when asked about Jones’ status for Saturday’s game against Boston College. The 6-foot, 220-pound redshirt sophomore, who some believed could help fill the massive void left by Isaiah Simmons, is a key cog in the Clemson defense for that very reason. And given how banged-up the Tigers are at linebacker, with James Skalski among those who did not play in Saturday’s win over Syracuse, not having Jones for the Boston College game would be especially problematic. Tyler Venables and Trent Simpson, both true freshmen, would likely be next in line of Jones can’t play.

You can’t really “replace” a Simmons, with all due respect to someone like Jones, as his versatility was one of the key reasons why Clemson was so good the last three years. " That said, Jones was excellent over about 12 snaps per game,” Connelly writes. “Projected over the same number of snaps, Jones would have had 13.5 TFLs, 5 PDs and 18 run stuffs.” He also notes that Trenton Simpson is a candidate to replace Simmons as a freshman, but Jones (6'0/225) should be considered the favorite.

Jones (6'1/228) had been committed to Clemson since the summer of 2016 and never budged off that pledge before signing with the program on Wednesday. He stands as ESPN 300’s No. 202 overall prospect in the 2018 class. While he possesses a frame with room to fill out and good straight-line speed, Jones is somewhat raw on the technical level. A redshirt might be necessary to start.