Arkansas 2016 WR Jordan Jones adds to Razorbacks Uncommon Theme over Weekend

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

Little actions in life may seem like no-brainers to the rest of the world or may be that action is not a big deal to most, but what Jordan Jones did for Arkansas football over the weekend fit the “uncommon” theme promoted repeatedly by the Razorbacks program. All Jones did was head up to Fayetteville on his own dime to help promote Arkansas football to top recruits – uncommon.

The act, again, is small and seems like no big deal, but Jones cares enough about the Razorbacks program and the future of his beloved team that he was willing to sacrifice his weekend and personal time and money to help bring needed/desired talent to the team. Make no mistake, the byproduct is for selfish reasons and Razorback Nation could not be any happier.

Some of the players visiting Fayetteville this weekend included Westfield (Houston) wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland, Santa Fe (Edmond) outside linebacker/safety Calvin Bundage, St. Augustine (New Orleans) linebacker Giovanni LaFrance, and Archbishop Rummel (Metairie) cornerback Kristian Fulton among others. Arkansas landed LaFrance but are looking for help in the secondary to fill in the class. Jones did his best to make friends with Fulton, sticking on him throughout the visit. The two, along with another Arkansas commit visiting on his own dime – running back Devwah Whaley, were on Fulton’s hip connecting throughout all social media platforms and perhaps started building a bond that will go beyond the weekend.

A little background on Jones. Jones committed to Arkansas on June 19, 2014. His total scholarships have been limited since he verbally committed so early to the Hogs but he also has offers from Alabama and Ole Miss. Listed at 6’2”, 175 pounds, he has blazing 4.4 speed using his athleticism to turn 37 receptions into 721 yards with 11 touchdowns during his senior season for Smackover High School (AR). He threw for another 150 yards with at least two scores, ran for another 200 yards with another two touchdowns, and on defense had four interceptions coming up with at least 30 tackles. He was named first team All-State, selected to the Arkansas All-Prep team, and was nominated at the El Dorado News-Times Player of the Year.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I caught up with Jones on his way home from Fayetteville to get his thoughts on how the weekend went with the visiting recruits.

Interview

Alright Jordan, you were one of the selling features of the weekend brought in to talk to recruits about the Arkansas program… how did it go?

“I think it went well. Our facilities compared to others were on par. Talking to all the guys, I think they see what we see and like it. They all saw what we saw.”

What made you go up to Fayetteville to recruit others?

“I just wanted to go up there to get closer to some of the guys and to get some more to commits.”

Was there an uncommitted recruit there that you think really enjoyed his visit?

“Fulton, from Louisiana. I got close to him this weekend. We need corners, and he’s a good player. I think he’s a five-star (247sports) now. I know he’s close to a decision, but I don’t know what he’s going to do but we put good work in on him.”

Did you meet with any other recruits or really get to know any others?

“Fulton was the main guy that I was on.”

What all did you guys do during your visit?

“I didn’t do the tours, Devwah and I chilled with the coaches when all the recruits went on the tours until dinner. After that we went out with the guys and had a good time.”

What did you guys do when you went out?

“We did whatever they wanted to do. We just hung out and got closer to some of the guys.”

Is there a recruit in the mix that is the comedian or the ring leader of the group?

“I’d have to say Devwah, he’s funny. He keeps everyone going and laughing.”

Are you going back up to Fayetteville next weekend to help with recruiting again?

“I’m not sure. I’m not sure when I will be back up there. Maybe for the spring game, but anything can happen.”

Did the weekend help you get closer to the coaching staff?

“Yeah, I’ve always been close to the coaching staff. I don’t know how much closer I could be to them. If they want me to recruit guys I will.”

I know you have been active helping the coaching staff recruit by calling, texting, and/or messaging guys on Twitter. Is there a guy that was not there this weekend that you’ve been contacting trying to get him to Arkansas?

“No, not really. I was texting Devwah before he committed. I wanted to help with Fulton. When I met him, we connected on everything. We connected on all the social media stuff – Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, all of it. I’m going to keep talking to him, tell him that we need him and that we would really like to have him. He seems like a really cool dude.”

Jordan, thanks for your time today and insight on the recruiting weekend in Fayetteville. Good luck with recruiting others.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: twitter.com; Jordan Jones with Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema.

Photo credit: Jones family; Jordan Jones with Devwah Whaley at Arkansas.