Incoming freshman: Reuben Jones
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Reuben Jones • 6-4 • 225
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Class of 2015
Rivals250: N/A
DE: 27
Fla.: 69
Lakeland, Fla.
Lake Gibson
Other Notable offers: Duke, Iowa, Louisville, Michigan State, Nebraska, Syracuse
Commitment Story: Jones was pretty patient in his initial recruiting process, seeing several schools in person before giving his word to Nebraska. When the Cornhuskers dismissed coach Bo Pelini, however, Jones made no bones about it: he wasn't sure he could stay committed with a staff he didn't know. By the time Mike Riley's staff got their say with him, it was clear Jones was headed elsewhere. He took January official visits to Louisville and Michigan, but it was Ann Arbor that impressed him the most. U-M's Florida ace D.J. Durkin (who was Florida's defensive coordinator before heading to Michigan) and the vision of Jim Harbaugh made it an easy choice, and he committed midway through his official.
Quotable"He's one of the players that I love to coach against and coach with. He's an extremely hard worker and he's very strong. I'm not just saying that either. In games, he gets double and tripled-teamed and he manages to fight through it. You can watch his highlight where he runs plays down from the backside. I'm talking 40 or 50 yards down the field. On the field he really has a motor. That's the one thing I'd say about him, he has a motor." - Lake Gibson offensive line coach (and former Wolverine) Ricky Barnum
"He creates havoc. Other teams always had to account for him and know where's at. They dealt with him with different blocking schemes. Most of his senior year he was double-teamed. They would send a back at him a lot, or two linemen, one inside and one outside. He's a kid that has a motor that goes 100% all the time. Sometimes he's too fast actually. He's a thinker on the field. He thinks a lot and tries to analyze the game. As far as athletic ability, he's very athletic. He really can beat most tackles. He's just so quick coming off of the ball. He has a lot of natural strength, but he has a lot of weight room strength too." - Lake Gibson head coach Keith DeMyer
"They'll also like him a lot off the field. He's also an excellent student; he's a smart kid. He's an honor student, Advanced Placement student. I don't think you're going to have issues with him like some players bring. There's no baggage, he's got good grades, a good kid, hard worker, and I don't think success goes to his head - it just makes him want more. He's got a lot of drive. He wants to be the best." - The Ledger prep sports reporter Bill Kemp
Filmhttp://www.hudl.com/athlete/2787728/highlights/97974378/v2
Freshman ProjectionLike his position-mate Shelton Johnson, Jones may have the skills to contribute as a freshman, but thanks to his size, may need a redshirt year to bulk up in the weight room. He's a little more game-ready than Johnson, with a compact frame that has some muscle mass built onto it (though there's no mistaking him for a finished product). Even if he does take that redshirt year, he's one strong offseason away from being a beast on the field. The depth chart at defensive end and "Buck" linebacker open up after this fall, so he has the opportunity to complete a productive career in Maize and Blue.