Tim

Jones

Jones (6'1/203) started for three of his four seasons at Southern Miss, earning second-team All-CUSA honors in 2019. A hamstring injury kept him out for parts of 2020, which is why he was unable to go back for a second helping of all-conference honors. All told, Jones racked up 145 receptions for 1,890 yards, but he only found the end zone eight times. That is due in part to the fact that he is not a particularly threatening deep threat. Jones is better at working across the field, sifting through zones, and being a move-the-chains type of YAC guy. Jones (9.03 RAS) could develop into a poor man’s Kenny Stills.

Jones is likely going to be one of the last declarations of the year. A senior who technically could have gone back since the NCAA granted everyone an extra year of eligibility, Jones (6'1/202) leaves Southern Miss having caught 145 passes over the past three seasons. Those catches went for 1,890 yards and eight touchdowns, helping make him the team’s second-leading receiver in all three seasons. Jones is likely to be a late Day 3 pick or UDFA as a solid possession receiver.

Jones (6'1/202) missed about a month and a half due to a nagging hamstring ailment. It was his first touchdwon since Sept. 19 against Louisiana Tech when he scored twice. He has been back for three games, but hasn’t quite looked as explosive as the first two games before his injury when he had 14 receptions for 299 yards and two scores. He’ll look to score in back-to-back games for the first time this season when the Golden Eagles fly into Birmingham to battle UAB next Friday.

Jones (6'1/202) being sidelined leaves redshirt sophomore QB Tate Whatley, who is making his first start, with one less option to work with in the passing game. As a result of his hamstring injury, the senior wide receiver will miss his third consecutive game. For the season, Jones has caught 14 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns.

Jones (6'1/202), who was Southern Miss’ best pass-catcher in the team’s first two games, was held out of matchups with Tulane and North Texas due to the hamstring issue. But he continues to make progress and could be available for the Golden Eagles’ next game, Saturday at UTEP. “Tim looked really good Sunday night (in practice), and we’re excited about that,” Southern Miss OC Matt Kubik said on Monday. Jones has caught 14 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Jones (6'1/202) was in uniform for Saturday’s blowout loss to Tulane, but he did not play due to the hamstring issue. According to acting head coach Scotty Walden the senior wide receiver was able to do some running during Sunday’s practice, and he was “looking better” while doing so. Getting Jones back would give the Golden Eagles a much-needed boost, as he caught 14 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s first two games.

Dressed, but did not start the contest. Jones was spotted riding an exercise bike trying to stay loose, so it would at least appear that the wideout might potentially be available later in the game. Jones ripped Louisiana Tech for an 8-160-2 receiving line last weekend and his absence against the Green Wave (if he can’t come in) would be an unfortunate one. Jason Brownlee and Demarcus Jones are two players who would see increased work with Jones sidelined.

The Golden Eagles are off to a rough start at 0-2. Tim Jones is not. Jones follows his 6-139 game against South Alabama with another big contest, and finds the end zone twice after failing to reach paydirt in the opener on September 3. This doesn’t come out of nowhere, either; Jones caught 73 passes for 902 yards in 2019, and is clearly the top option in this passing game. As long as Jack Abraham can get him the ball, the numbers should be there in 2020. Tulane shouldn’t prevent too much of a problem next Saturday.

No touchdown grabs for Jones, though it should be noted that Southern Miss QB Jack Abraham threw no touchdowns, at all, on the evening. So the nice yardage total will work well enough. Jones has some nice milestones to shoot for this season. He was two catches shy of 75 last season and 98 yards short of 1,000. And he could stand to find the end zone more often, if Abraham will allow it. Jones managed just three touchdown grabs last season. Southern Miss will have the next few weeks to test out for COVID-19 and prep for their Sept. 19 matchup with Louisiana Tech.

Jones (6'1/192) saw his usage spike down the stretch with Jaylond Adams injured. That wasn’t indicative of USM offensive success. The Golden Eagles averaged just south of 14 PPG over their three-game losing streak to close the campaign; Jones finished with seven catches in each contest. He’s not explosive nor a big-play receiver, but Jones has established himself as a reliable secondary or tertiary possession option. He’ll continue to do just fine in that role if Quez Watkins returns next year along with a healthy Adams to knock Jones back down to a more naturally-fitting WR3 role.