Jeff Jones will announce his college decision Wednesday at 10am.
Jeff Jones, a 5-10, 180-pound senior running back from Minneapolis Washburn who was named Minnesota’s Mr. Football, talked to Gopher Hole about the latest on his recruitment and his upcoming decision. He said that he will announce his decision at his high school at 10am on Wednesday, National Signing Day.
Jones rushed for 1523 yards (9.1 yards per carry) as a senior. He had 493 receiving yards (18.5 yards per reception). Jones had 44 touchdowns this season and finished his career with 4668 yards and 92 career touchdowns.
The two-sport standout talked with Gopher Hole Thursday after the Millers’ basketball 56-47 win over Minneapolis Washburn about the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: Are you ever surprised how many people care about where you are going to school?
Jeff Jones: Oh, yes. I am actually surprised. From being instate, a home kid that has a scholarship, I just know a lot of people want me to stay home, but I didn’t realize until actually the beginning of this week, now that it is so close to crunch time. You get all these messages from Facebook that I need to go to the U of M, so it is kind of funny.
Gopher Hole: Do you hear from fans from other schools?
Jeff Jones: Oh, yes. When I go to Eden Prairie, I work out with a kid from Eden Prairie, a couple of kids from Prior Lake and Lakeville. They all want me to stay home. It is crazy how kids who could have the same opportunities as me aren’t jealous about it. They are encouraging me to stay home and that is how you know that if you get hometown kids over at Minnesota, they will have a good program because everyone actually cares about the Gophers now that they are winning. I just feel like it is great that people support the Gophers.
Gopher Hole: When we talked last down in Owatonna, you were planning on visiting Florida and Michigan, but you didn’t go. What was the main reason you decided to not to those two places?
Jeff Jones: Both of those two places had their eye on one more kids and if it wasn’t me for sure, they stacked and didn’t want me to come down there and not be able to sign there, which is respectful. I talked to the coaches and we just agreed not to have a visit.
Gopher Hole: So, are you down to two schools?
Jeff Jones: I really like the University of Tennessee. They really interest me. They talked about flying me out this weekend, but I don’t think that I will because we have a huge basketball game Saturday versus Roseville. So, I think that I am just going to stay home and just try to base my decision off what I have heard from the Tennessee coaches and the Iowa State and Minnesota official visits. I think those will be my three schools.
Gopher Hole: Have you decided when you are going to finally make your decision yet?
Jeff Jones: Wednesday. National signing day at 10 o’clock here.
Gopher Hole: Do you know who you are going to pick yet or don’t you know?
Jeff Jones: I think I know who I am going to pick, but I don’t know for sure.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that you know and then later you don’t know?
Jeff Jones: That is exactly what it is. You think you have got it for a second until you look online and you see a different school and “Well maybe I will have to reconsider.” It is kind of back and forth, but I feel that on that last day, I will be able to make my final decision.
Gopher Hole: How glad will you be when you make that decision to be done with recruiting?
Jeff Jones: It will feel like a burden off my shoulder. I can just walk around without hearing “Hey, how many schools are you looking at?” or “What is your final two?” “Are you going here?” “Are you going there?” People would know where I am going and I can live the rest of my high school (days) as a regular high school student, hopefully?
Gopher Hole: I’m sure that a lot of kids ask you about it in the hallways. Howe many times do you think a day you hear “Where are you going to school” in an average day?
Jeff Jones: Kids tell me where I am going. They joke around with me and tell me that I am going to Minnesota or I need to go to Florida or things like that, but I hear it quite a bit.
Gopher Hole: Like how many times a day would you guess?
Jeff Jones: A guess, about 50-60.
Gopher Hole: What is going to be the main thing that is finally going to make you pick School A over School B or C?
Jeff Jones: Really just my opportunities like what is in it for me after football. I want to go to a program where it is not what have you done for me lately. It is consecutive. After my four years or maybe five years, are you guys going to be in my best interest to help me find a job? Connect me with the right alumni? It is things like that because 1% go to the NFL and I might not be in that 1%.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about where you would like to live when you are done playing football?
Jeff Jones: I want to raise my kids right here. I would like to raise my kids in Minnesota. Just because I was raised here and I know that it is a nice place to raise kids.
Gopher Hole: Is that something that the Gophers coaches have said that if you want to live here that they have a lot of connections to alumni and jobs here? Do they bring that up?
Jeff Jones: They definitely bring it up, but that was in my mindset before I even reached high school. I knew that I was going to be a good recruit. I just knew that growing up here would be great because there are a decent amount of struggles, but overall you live a pretty decent life here. There is not too much violence and that is not something I want my family around.