It’s pretty rare that a prospect publicly commits in the middle of his official visit, but defensive lineman Anthony Jones has done just that, and it’s good news for the Longhorns.
Jones, out of Henderson (NV) Liberty, announced on Twitter on Saturday night that he had given Texas a verbal commitment during his official visit. The 6-4, 240-pound Jones is the Longhorns’ 10th commitment in the 2022 recruiting class.
A one-time Washington commitment, Jones decommitted from the Huskies after former UW defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski left to take the same position at Texas. Jones told OB recently that his relationship with Kwiatkowski was a big reason the Longhorns were so high on his list, and after spending 24 hours with the Texas staff this weekend Jones had seen enough.
“There’s a lot to like about Texas, but his relationship with coach Kwiatkowski was huge,” said Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney. “He said he probably would have stayed committed to Washington if he’d stayed there. That relationship came over to Texas, they kept recruiting him and I think that’s a big part of the reason as to why he picked Texas.”
Jones visited Miami last week and was scheduled to visit Oregon later this month. He now becomes the Longhorns’ third defensive line commitment in the 2022 class, joining Kristopher Ross and Zac Swanson. He’s an intriguing prospect with his size and athleticism, and should give Kwiatkowski a versatile defender with which to work.
“He’s a thick-bodied kid but he can move. That’s why he plays tight end and you’ll see him during 7-on-7 playing offense,” Gorney said. “He’s constantly working on speed and agility. When I was out in Vegas to interview him, I met him at the gym where he trains for speed and agility. He’s a big, good-looking kid. He’s 6-4, about 240 pounds and can play at 250 or 260 comfortably. He will blitz off the edge, but will also drop a little.”
Jones is ranked as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and ranks as the number 9 player in the state of Nevada. Along with Texas, Miami and Oregon, he also had offers from programs like Arizona, Southern Cal, Colorado and Washington.