Jarron Jones decided to decommit from Penn State last month because he wasn’t done with the recruiting process yet.
“I did it just so I could actually make a decision,” the elite 6-foot-7, 290-pound defensive end from Rochester, N.Y., (Aquinas Institute) said. “I want to give every school an equal chance.”
Right now, the schools on his list are Penn State, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Virginia Tech with the hometown school of Syracuse still in the running, according to Jones’ mother, Lakiescha Titus-Jones. The Jones family has visited the first four schools already and plans to visit Syracuse soon before seeing the other four again.
“I want him to go back and visit again even before official visit time,” Titus-Jones said. “I want him to go back and spend a weekend so that when he goes back for officials, he knows that this is really possibly where I want to narrow my choices down to. By the time it’s time for official visits, I don’t want to have to go to five schools, honestly.”
Even with the prospect of taking official visits in the fall, Jones is still trying to make a decision this summer.
“I haven’t really decided,” he said. “I’m trying to make it before the season so I can focus on my season, but whenever I’m ready to make my decision, that’s when I’ll make it.”
It may just be a coincidence, but Jones’ decision to decommit from the Nittany Lions came on the heels of an unofficial visit to Notre Dame.
“It was an amazing experience,” said Jones. “Walking into a place full of tradition was a wonderful experience.
“I saw the stadium, the Gug. I just took a tour around the whole area. I met the academic people, the coaches and the players.”
The players definitely made an impact on Jones.
“I talked to Ishaq (Williams) and Manti (Te’o),” he said. “They’re good people. They’re pretty cool and they get along with each other pretty easy. They’re like a big family.”
The Irish coaching staff also made an impression.
“I liked the coaches,” he said. “They’re all very passionate with where they’re going. They’re not there for themselves, they’re there to help us get better and help us win games. That’s what I like, coaches that are dedicated.”
Jones enjoyed some one-on-one time with head coach Brian Kelly.
“Coach Kelly is a good guy,” Jones said. “I didn’t really talk to him for that long, but he’s a pretty good guy. He tells me where I’d be and the possibilities. He sold the academic part very well.”
