How Marvin Jones Jr. developed into On3's No. 1 2022 prospect
Monday saw a shakeup at the top of On3’s 2022 football prospect rankings. EDGE Marvin Jones Jr. moved into the No. 1 spot following news of quarterback and initial top prospect Quinn Ewers skipping his senior season to enroll at Ohio State this fall.
The Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage pass rusher assumes the top spot following a strong junior campaign and continued physical and skill progression. After going through the 2021 and 2022 cycles, we came away thinking Marvin Jones Jr. looked like the top pass-rushing prospect in high school football.
Jones is uncommitted and has set up official visits to Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama and Florida State for the fall.
What makes the Seminole legacy a coveted and highly regarded prospect?
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Running the arc
Flip on video of Marvin Jones Jr.’s junior season and you’ll see a fluid, coordinated athlete. He shows good first-step quickness, but it’s the ability to run the arc around the edge that sets him apart. Jones consistently turns tight corners at high speeds, while dipping and bending to avoid offensive tackles.
He also put the high-level ability to bend and change directions on display at Miami’s camp this summer.
Even quarterbacks who step up in the pocket aren’t safe from Marvin Jones Jr. He’s able to plant his foot and seamlessly turn at sharp angles.
Pass rush polish
Pass rushing is a technical endeavor, and Marvin Jones Jr. is advanced in that regard at this stage. 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.
Jones also finds ways to affect passing lanes. He keeps his eyes up and is able to read the quarterback, timing his jumps to bat down passes.
Speed and effort in pursuit
In addition to the pure pass-rush skills, Marvin Jones Jr. shows the ability to be a dogged defender in pursuit. His athleticism, size and motor allow for a large range of influence.
Check out the above play. Jones shows great quickness and effort to close a 10-yard distance in a blink before pouncing on a running back. This type of play when added to the aforementioned pass rush skill is incredibly impressive.
Hitting his stride
Marvin Jones Jr.’s development on the field has coincided with physical growth. He was a 6-foot-4, 215-pound lanky receiver-turned-pass rusher in the spring of 2020. Now he checks in at a solid 245 pounds.
Jones is younger for the 2022 cycle with a June birthday. He played his junior season at American Heritage at 16 years old and won’t turn 18 until he’s on a college campus next summer.
The continued progression despite the limited amount of time as a true pass rusher points to some more untapped upside.
Jones was a highly effective pass rusher as a junior with 13 sacks as a junior. He teamed with fellow 2022 prospects in cornerback Earl Little Jr., Jacolby Spells and Richard Thomas to help American Heritage to a state title in 2020.
Jones could be in line for a big senior season.
Pedigree
The name should be familiar to football fans, especially in the Sunshine State.
Marvin Jones Jr. is the son of former Florida State All-American and NFL linebacker Marvin “Shade Tree” Jones. The elder Jones had a prolific career in Tallahassee. He was a consensus two-time All-American and won the Butkus and Lombardi Awards in 1992. He was taken with the No. 4 pick in the 1993 draft by the New York Jets and played in the NFL for a decade.
The pedigree extends beyond Marvin Jones Jr.’s family ties. He’s part of a program at American Heritage that has turned into an NFL factory as of late. Earlier this year, the Patriots set a record with six former players selected in the NFL draft. The program has had three first-round draft picks in recent years – Patrick Surtain II, Brian Burns and Sony Michel.
Jones has naturally drawn comparisons to Burns, who was a lean, athletic pass rusher out of high school in the 2016 cycle. Burns was a touted blue-chip prospect, but the feeling is Jones is ahead of the curve at this stage.
Assessing the recruitment
Marvin Jones Jr. should have a busy fall. He’ll be playing his senior season and taking official visits, as mentioned earlier.
“Jones is a FSU legacy, so you have to start there. I consider him FSU’s to lose,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons said.
“There are others very deeply involved in this race too, though. Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M are not going to make it easy on the Seminoles.”
It’s safe to say a lot of eyes will be on Marvin Jones Jr. this fall, both on and off the field.