He gave a verbal committment quite early in the process because it looked like he felt strongly about Jerry Kill and Brian Anderson and the coaching staff at Minnesota, and this is home to him, he is not a transplant like many of the number one kids have been in recent memory. Combine that with lack of overall program success the last decade and we have a challenge at Minnesota in keeping the best home.
What 17 or 18 year doesn't enjoy publicity or exposure. Michigan and Florida were late to the offer party because likely the Minneapolis conference reputation as not being a strong conference was likely a limiting factor, allthough there are some good players that come from that confernece and probably some summer camp exposure might have affected him. He probably feels good about the other offers and it is fantastic to have a running back of his caliber in our backyard so of course Gopher fans are paying a lot of attention to him. What kid doens't like to be recoginized.
We have been talking about this kid since he was a younger kid, a Sophmore in high school. Because we have been spurned by the likes of Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, Henderson, Mobley the lists goes on and on going back to the Wacker years Gopher fans are a little sensitive when heralded players leave and go to play for someone else.
I would hope that Jeff Jones in the end chooses to play for the Gophers as much as anyone else, he seems like an outstanding running back and we have not had that until David Cobb emerged this year. Can you blame a kid at taking looks when big time programs with Helmet sticker status like Florida, Florida State and Michigan, Michigan State take notice and start offering even to take visits to warm spots with our crappy winter. Hopefully he sees that we can offer him early playing time, good coaching, and a shot at being a big fish, a star player and a remembered kid, one that little kids will likely get to buy his #21 jersey. He will have kids that will want to be like him and many local kids will want to emulate and play like him because he is from here. Nothing is given but Jones has the potential to earn those types of accolades and playing time at Minnesota. In the end, all we can hope for as Gopher fans is that the impression the Coaches and coach Kill have made will be enough to keep him home. If he chooses to leave I will wish him luck, but I'm a Gopher fan first and foremost so like the rest we will move on if he chooses to leave.
