Ryan

Jones

East Carolina has absolutely loaded up on transfers this offseason, and they get an intriguing addition from the Sooners in Jones. He’s spent the last two seasons on the defensive side of the ball, but he’s joining the Pirates to play in a WR/TE role; a position that he was originally recruited at by Oklahoma with four-star grades from recruiting websites. This is the sixth player to transfer to ECU this offseason, and since Jones (6'2/225) is joining the program as a graduate, he’s eligible to play right away.

Jones had been committed to the Tar Heels since just before National Signing Day this February. As for the next step in his recruitment now that he has backed off his Tar Heels pledge, the 6-foot-2, 201-pounder is considering official visits to Nebraska, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Georgia. Jones ranks as Rivals No. 202 prospect for the 2017 cycle. ESPN’s Gerry Hamilton has written that the wideout possesses a beautiful blend of “balance, body control, leaping abaility and strong hands.”

Jones was previously in the fold with North Carolina, but he reopened his recruitment near the end of September. He commits to the Sooners having just taken a visit to them. The only other visit the 6-foot-2, 201-pound wideout has made this month was to Marshall. Rivals ranks Jones as the No. 49 receiving prospect in the 2017 class. ESPN 300 is far more optimistic in their assessment of Jones, though, slotting him into their master list at No. 171 overall. While he lacks blink-and-you’ll-miss-it jets, he does a nice job of combining quickness and physicality. Jones should have an opportunity to compete for early playing time in 2017.

Larry Fedora and staff curiously had a terrible 2016 recruiting class, but they’ve already netted four ESPN Jr300 verbal commitments. “Jones possesses good foot quickness for his size that results in quickly getting off the line leading to the ability to create separation against man coverage without possessing difference-making long speed,” wrote Gerry Hamilton. “Jones is at his best after the catch with the ability to run through tacklers, and when the ball is in the air with a combination of balance, body control, leaping ability and strong hands to secure a contested ball while playing through contact.” The analyst calls Jones’ commitment a “strong one” and says its 90 percent assured of holding.