Signing Day Capsule: 4-star OT Caden Jones locks in with Florida
Checking in
Name: Caden Jones
Class: 2023
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height/Weight: 6-foot-7.5, 300 pounds
Location/School: Gretna (La.) De La Salle
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 385 prospect | No. 23 offensive tackle | No. 16 senior in Louisiana
Signed With: Florida Gators
Additional Offers: Texas A&M, LSU, Florida State, Texas, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Louisville, West Virginia and Minnesota among others.
Why the Gators won out
“Just the feeling when I’m down there. Also, the coaches who I have a connection with, like, coach Juluke, Sale, coach Stapleton and then coach Napier, but it’s mainly the feeling I get when I’m down there. They said they can develop me into the player I want to be in the future.
“I’m not a big party guy. There is not a lot to do out there, but that is the type of stuff I like. I really don’t like to go out a lot, so it’s really just a chill campus. I can just mainly chill the whole time and talk to my teammates and then the coaches if I need to.”
On3 Scouting Report on Caden Jones
Gargantuan athlete whose potential is through the roof due to his size and athleticism. Absurd measurables for a high school tackle prospect. Jones stands in at 6-foot-7.5, 300 pounds with 36-inch arms. Jumped an extremely impressive 30-inch vertical during the summer camp circuit prior to his senior season.
Raw positional traits due to only playing the game when he started high school. Basketball player who shows his body control and balance on the hardwood and the gridiron. Jones needs to clean up his footwork in pass protection. Plays with poor leverage but has the bend to improve it. Lacks pop in his hands which should improve as he gets stronger.
Extremely raw prospect but has all the tools to be as good as he wants to be. Jones is on the younger end of the spectrum for the 2023 recruiting cycle. — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power
GO’s Take
While Jones is still very raw from a technical standpoint, there is no doubting his long-term potential at offensive tackle. He has the tools to be elite at his position; it’s just about putting in the work and being patient with him, but this is a tower in the trenches. You cannot miss him when turning on the film.
What stands out the most about Jones is his aggression. He plays with a mean streak in the run game and is always looking to pancake his opponent. As he continues to get stronger, I believe his game will reach another level in that department. It’s in pass protection where Jones needs major work from a technical standpoint, but this is a kid who has admitted he is not ready and wants to redshirt. I respect that a lot.
You cannot draw them up much better than Jones. He is also a mature kid who is eager to put in the work to reach his full potential. If he comes close to hitting that ceiling, there is no doubt he will outplay his ranking. It’s also worth noting Jones plays with fairly good pad level for someone of his stature.
The Bayou State native arguably has the most potential in the Gators’ 2023 class. Napier’s staff just has to be patient with him.
Stay tuned to Gators Online.
