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Jones commits to Ole Miss

• Sought-after prep football prospect Jason Jones of Westover is headed to Ole Miss, while across town at Monroe, lineman David Noel also chooses a school, saying he’ll attend Georgia Southern in the fall.

Paul Dehner Jr.

ALBANY — Finally, Jason Jones can rest. And he’ll do so with a full ride to play football for Mississippi no longer in his dreams — but a reality.

The Westover linebacker, who caught fire as a recruit after leading the Patriots to the GHSA Class AAA state quarterfinals, verbally committed to play for Ole Miss at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

“Ole Miss had the best offer,” Jones said. “The visit was perfect. The atmosphere was kicking. Academics was a big part of it. That’s what we go to college for, when you work hard in high school in football and school, you deserve a scholarship. With the new coaching staff Houston Nutt is bringing in, it is going to be great.”

His decision ends a wild recruitment, which began with his heart set on following former teammate Aairon Savage to Auburn, then shifting his focus to a strong push from the University of South Carolina and then, finally deciding to rest in Oxford, Miss.

The 2007 John Reynolds Award winner visited Ole Miss this past weekend for his first official visit there. Jones was recruited by Tyrone Nix, then the defensive coordinator at South Carolina. When Nix left the Gamecocks for the Rebels in the same capacity, he didn’t ease on his pursuit of Jones.

“I feel good about coach Nix, he runs a good defense,” Jones said. “He wanted me to come there. When a coach goes from one school to another and still has an offer if you want it; that is a positive. It makes me know I am wanted somewhere.”

Auburn also expressed interest, which included Tommy Tuberville showing up at a recent Patriots basketball game to watch Jones start at center. But Auburn didn’t view Jones in the linebacker role, instead seeing him more as a tight end. 

“He really likes the fact that (Nix) is the coordinator and linebackers coach,” Westover coach Jeff Caldwell said. “He likes him as a linebacker.

(Jason) has been a linebacker most of his life and wants to stay with that as long as he is helping the program. Ole Miss got them a good one. We look forward to watching him on Saturdays.”

Before the season started, Jones expressed his love for Auburn, stating, “I’ll say if Auburn offers me, I’ll be through with it. Auburn is where I want to be.”

Though Auburn sought Jones’ services, he felt secure with the choice of playing for Nix at the linebacker position and thought highly of the Ole Miss campus after his visit.

Jones’ name had become such a hot commodity after Westover’s playoff run.

Before then, only a midseason offer from Georgia Southern was on the table.

But Nix saw Jones during Westover’s first-round win at Thomson and the rest was history even though Middle Tennessee State and Louisville were also in the running.

“He had his heart set on one way; that is something he’s certainly been impressed with Auburn, with Aairon there and the proximity and location. He felt like this is something that can work out just as well or better for him. If we hadn’t been in Thomson, you never know. Coach Nix wouldn’t have seen him. We are just proud for him.”

Jones had 152 tackles this past year, 91 solo and scored three touchdowns.

NOEL TO GEORGIA SOUTHERN

Monroe lineman David Noel also made a verbal commitment this week, stating his allegiance to Georgia Southern.

Noel has had strong feelings toward GSU for some time now and finally made it official.

Noel, who played defensive and offensive line for a Monroe team, which lost to eventual state champion Carver-Columbus in the second round of the playoffs, will play on the defensive line at the next level.

Noel graded out at 90 percent this past year for the Tornadoes and had 42 pancakes. Defensively, he had 61 tackles, 11 for a loss, five forced fumbles and three sacks.

“The young man worked hard,” Monroe offensive line coach Travis Lockhart said. “He is a special kid. He gave it his all every play. It’s a good fit for the kid. He will go right away and start on the defensive side. He cancelled all his other visits.”

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