Ohio State offers talented 2024 linebacker Kris Jones
COLUMBUS — Going into his final camp of the summer, Kris Jones did not yet have an offer from Ohio State.
He left the Buckeyes campus Wednesday afternoon with the offer he knew would change everything in his recruitment.
“It would change it a lot,” Jones said about how that Ohio State offer. “This is a prestigious school. So, most definitely, it’ll change a lot.”
After working with the Buckeyes defensive coordinator on Wednesday — and in spite of playing on a banged-up knee — Jones received an offer to play at the next level for Ohio State.
This was just Jones’ second time on-campus and first time speaking with Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. When he visited Columbus back in April, Knowles was in Las Vegas for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Despite that, Jones had high praise for the Buckeyes staff, who he said seemed to care about more than just athletic performance.
“I like how they focus on you on the field, but also they try to get you prepared for life,” Jones said. “Stuff off the field.”
The 6-foot-2, 224-pound linebacker out of Stafford Mountain View (Va.) is a four-star prospect ranked No. 126 nationally in the 2024 On3 Consensus. Offers include Penn State, Georgia and Notre Dame in addition to numerous other Power 5 programs.
Jones recently camped at Georgia and Virginia Tech, and has plans to visit Notre Dame on Thursday. He said that he hopes to see Virginia and Penn State in the near future. The Nittany Lions, Cavaliers and Hokies were the programs that Jones said have shown him the most love in his recruitment alongside Ohio State.
Wednesday’s camp was Jones’ opportunity to elevate that relationship with the Buckeyes. He worked closely with Knowles, focusing on improving his man coverage and keeping his eyes locked on to receivers’ hips.
“He is intense,” Jones said about Knowles. “But, at the end of the day, he’s trying to teach you. Just trying to teach you all the things.”
The one-day camp gave Knowles the chance to see in-person the attributes Jones said were his strongest: athleticism, quickness and pass coverage. And despite the magnitude of camping at Ohio State, Jones focused his energy entirely on executing those skills.
“It didn’t cross my mind,” Jones said about playing on the same field as previous Ohio State greats. “I’m just going out there playing like me, being myself.”
