Early signing period: 2019 LB Mikel Jones signs with Syracuse

Welcome to college football’s early signing period for the class of 2019! The Syracuse Orange will be adding new recruits from Wednesday to (maybe) Friday. As each player signs, we’ll be posting profiles here on TNIAAM. Next up? This class’s top prospect, Mikel Jones.

Twitter feed: @_mikel12

Hometown: Hialeah, Fla.

Previous school: IMG Academy

Stats: 6’2”, 208 lbs.

Commitment date: November 21, 2018

Position: Outside linebacker

Ratings: Four stars from ESPN and Rivals, and a three-star rating From 247Sports. He’s among the 400 best players in the class of 2019 according to 247. ESPN ranks him about 100 spots higher.

Other Offers: Jones received a slew of top offers, with the best ones coming from Clemson, Georgia, Auburn, NC State and West Virginia.

Dino’s projected nickname: “WHO? MIKE-L JONES!”

Highlights:

Player breakdown:

Jones fits the sort of profile we’ve come to expect from linebackers in this Tampa-2 scheme. He can play in coverage and against the run, tackles with great force and also has a nose for the football. Jones’s tape shows he’s quick to make a move, and he can take down opposing ball-carriers in space. If he can show the same sort of athleticism he displays above when he arrives on campus, he’ll be in the mix for playing time with the linebacker positions potentially unsettled.