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Where did he come from?
I have officially committed to the university of Tennessee!!!!!!!!! Goooooooo VOL NATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— sheriron_jones3 (@gullyboyjonezy) January 8, 2015
Jones committed to Tennessee from Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, California, where he led the Mustangs to a 10-3 overall record, losing in the second round of the CIF high school playoffs.
How did he end up at Tennessee?
BREAKING: Four-star QB Sheriron Jones de-commits from #Florida. http://t.co/l3aQryAmQa @gullyboyjonezy @LukeStampini @jcshurburtt
— Ryan Bartow (@RyanBartow) December 6, 2014
Jones decommitted from Florida three weeks after the Gators fired head coach Will Muschamp. He contacted the Tennessee coaching staff shortly thereafter and received mutual interest in reviving a relationship that began during the fall of 2013 when the Volunteer coaching staff first evaluated the California quarterback.
Tennessee had originally planned to take two elite quarterbacks in the 2015 class, but that task became more complicated when the coaches promised in-state athlete Jauan Jennings that he could compete at quarterback instead of defensive back to land his commitment. With only one spot remaining, the coaching staff zeroed in on Sheriron Jones and athlete Torrance Gibson. At the end of May and beginning of June, the commitment dominoes fell into place, with Jones committing to Florida and the Vols accepting a commitment from Quinten Dormady.
Quarterback Commitment Timeline
Note: this is a mixture of rumor and educated guesswork, promulgated for amusement only. Consider accordingly.
May 23, 2014
Quinten Dormady, then a largely unknown quarterback who had missed his entire junior season due to injury, is evaluated by offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian.
May 28
Impressed by Bajakian's evaluation and having done his due diligence, head coach Butch Jones extends Dormady's first major scholarship offer (previous offers: Houston, Indiana, Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky).
May 31
Top Tennessee target Torrance Gibson, then the hottest recruit in high school football, unofficially visits Auburn for the Big Cat recruiting weekend. Rumors swirl that Gibson is planning to commit to Auburn.
June 3
Dormady attends football camp at Alabama, where he competes against top competition for the first time since his shoulder injury. Head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin offer Dormady a scholarship on the spot.
June 5
Knowing that an offer from Alabama will bring increased attention from programs around the country and worried about Gibson's dalliance with other schools, the Tennessee coaching staff pushes hard for Dormady to unofficially visit, and he does.
June 6
Sheriron Jones unofficially visits Tennessee on a previously scheduled trip. Dormady is also on campus, which may or may not have had an effect on Jones, who is one of Tennessee's top two targets at the position. Tennessee's continued interest in other quarterbacks while Jones is on campus probably didn't help things, and Jones leaves without committing.
June 7
Jones unofficially visits Florida, where Muschamp sells him on being the only quarterback in the Gator recruiting class.
June 8
Jones, convinced by the possibility of a Florida turnaround and aware of the shaky quarterback depth chart, commits to the Gators. Meanwhile, in Knoxville, Gibson begins his unofficial visit to Tennessee, where he allegedly treats his visit like an all-expenses paid bachelor party in Vegas.
June 9
Tennessee coaches push for Dormady's commitment now that they've lost out on Jones. Allegedly, Gibson continues to behave badly, which irks head coach Butch Jones.
June 12
After allegedly being abandoned by his sponsor in a Knoxville hotel room, Tennessee coaches allegedly order a graduate assistant to drive Gibson back to his home in Florida. In an attempt to save face after his screw-up or in a bout of blithe unconcern, Gibson names the Vols his leader.
How will he fit into the Tennessee offense?
Jones is consensus four star quarterback in the 247 Composite and the seventh ranked dual threat quarterback in the country. At 6'2.5 and 192 pounds, he is a solidly built prospect with surprising athleticism. While lacking the pure arm strength of some other top prospects, Jones makes up for it with his pocket presence and decision making, which he displayed during the Elite 11 quarterback competition at Nike headquarters. On the field, he is a heady player who uses his elusiveness to extend plays, preferring to set up the pass rather than to take off running. SBNation Recruiting's Bud Elliott and Derrell Warren evaluated Jones in the spring, concluding that:
Jones projects as a plus-level two-year starter at the high FBS level. His skills would best fit within a spread scheme that uses his mobility as a complement his passing. Long term, his upside as passer leaves him better equipped to sustain offense with his arm rather than his legs.
Alligator Army editor-in-chief Andy Hutchins also wrote about Jones when he committed to Florida, calling him "a dual-threat quarterback with good size and fine accuracy", which is both true and some truly impressive analysis.