Christian Jones announces his return to Texas for a sixth season
The 2022 season for Christian Jones was his best as a Longhorn. Back at right tackle where he could more easily capitalize on being left-foot dominant, Jones was part of a tackle tandem with Kelvin Banks the Longhorn offense could rely on game after game.
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Jones will attempt to put on a repeat performance in 2023, as he announced Tuesday he will return to Texas in 2023 utilizing the year of eligibility relief provided by the NCAA as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jones, who has appeared in 48 games with 35 starts, started every game of the 2022 season at right tackle. He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 one year after often being a liability for the Longhorns at a different position.
In 2021, Jones started all 12 games at left tackle, but his left-footedness couldn’t help him versus some of the best pass rushers in the Big 12. That changed upon his switch to the right side in 2022. Per Pro Football Focus, Jones surrendered just 12 pressures, allowed only three sacks, and was called for a penalty six times in 876 snaps across 13 games.
Highlight plays are rare for offensive linemen, but Jones had one during Texas’ final game of the season. While Roschon Johnson was hurdling a Baylor defender, Jones was blocking another Bear all the way to the end zone, pancaking him while Johnson crossed the goal line.
2023 will be Jones’ fourth as a starter. In 2020, he played and started in all 10 games with nine starts at right tackle. He manned the blind side in 2021, but rotated with Andrej Karic in-game toward the end of Texas’ 5-7 campaign. Jones switched back to right tackle ahead of the 2022 campaign, and was the only senior on the Longhorn offensive line.
A member of the class of 2018, Jones was ranked as the No. 740 player in the country in the On3 Consensus.
