No. 1 EDGE Marvin Jones Jr. visiting Oklahoma this weekend
Oklahoma will host one of its biggest in-season recruiting weekends in recent memory—both literally and figuratively—when the Sooners host West Virginia on Saturday.
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage EDGE Marvin Jones Jr. tweeted Tuesday that he’ll be on campus in Norman. Jones Jr. is the top-ranked EDGE rusher in the country and the No. 1 overall player in the 2022 On300 rankings.
“I’ve heard many great things about the experience in Norman and it’s exciting to visit a school outside of Florida for the first time in a while,” Jones told On3’s Chad Simmons.
Joining him on campus will be host of 2022 and 2023 Oklahoma commits and prospects, including 2023 Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton EDGE Lebbeus Overton (No. 6 in the 2023 On100) and Owasso (Okla.) High DL Chris McClellan (No. 85 in 2022).
The trio represents exactly the type of prospects Oklahoma wants—and needs—to get as it prepares to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC in in the next few years. Getting Marvin Jones Jr. on campus is no small feat, but eventually landing him would be a major shot across the bow of SEC country, with both Alabama and Texas A&M in heavy pursuit.
Marvin Jones Jr. is a Florida State legacy
Jones is the son of former Florida State All-American and NFL linebacker Marvin “Shade Tree” Jones, a consensus two-time All-American and winner of the Butkus and Lombardi awards in 1992. On3Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons handicapped his recruitment earlier this summer, stating that he believed Jones was Florida State’s to lose. However, Simmons expected a massive push from the aforementioned Aggies and Crimson Tide, as well as Oklahoma and Ohio State. The Seminoles are off to an 0-3 start and just 3-9 so far in Mike Norvell’s first two seasons, though. And the door could potentially open for another school to grab the state of Florida’s top prospect.
Jones Jr. has serious untapped potential
The younger Jones has gone through a serious physical maturation over the past few years. He transformed from 215-pound receiver in the spring of 2020 to a 6-foot-4, 245-pound beast of a pass rusher. He won’t turn 18 until the summer before his freshman year and still has plenty of upside as he improves his skills on the defensive side.
For someone with limited experience at his position, Jones has great technical skills.
“Pass rushing is a technical endeavor, and Marvin Jones Jr. is advanced in that regard at this stage,” On3 Director of Scouting Charles Power wrote earlier this summer. “The degree of refinement in his pass rush technique extends to the point of attack where he shows very quick hands. We’ll see Jones Jr. use different techniques to feint or swat away an offensive tackle’s hands and quickly disengage. The ability to perform these maneuvers at high speeds provides a strong foundation as he continues to add to his arsenal of moves.”
As a junior at American Heritage, Jones Jr. finished his junior season with 13 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.