Cal Becomes Seventh Pac-12 School To Offer Nac’s Brandon Jones
Another day, another offer from the West Coast.
California offered Nacogdoches' Brandon Jones on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after Oregon reached out to him. Oregon's scholarship opportunity followed earlier offers for Jones from Arizona State, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Washington State.
Jones tweeted the news.
The junior safety has enjoyed a resurgence to the forefront of East Texas' recruiting sphere. His offer list stagnated during and immediately following the 2014 football season. With its offer, Cal joined Oregon, UCLA, Boise State, SMU and Maryland as schools that have invited Jones to join their team since the turn of the new year.
Jones leads all East Texas football prospects in the Class of 2016 with 38 scholarship opportunities. Twin Mineola tackles Austin Anderson and Riley Anderson trail the Nacogodches defensive back by 17 offers each.
Lufkin defensive end Bronson Massie joins Jones as the only other regional player with an opportunity from the Golden Bears' program.
Cal, also known as Berkeley and based in Berkeley, Calif., is led by Sonny Dykes. He's the son of former Texas Tech head coach Spike Dykes.
Sonny Dykes, in his third season with Cal, inherited a massive rebuilding project on the heels of three successful season as the head coach at Louisiana Tech. His first Golden Bears team went 1-11, but the team fell one game short of bowl eligibility last season.
The Golden Bears won four consecutive national championships from 1920 through 1924 and added a fifth in 1937.
Cal might be best known for "The Play" in 1982. The team returned a late kickoff against a John Elway led Stanford team for a game-winning touchdown with a series of laterals and ran through the Stanford band -- which had come onto the field to celebrate prematurely -- on the way.
The Golden Bears most recently won a conference championship in 2006.
Jones is widely regarded as the region’s top prospect in 2016. Scout.com ranks Jones as the country’s top safety and the 39th overall recruit.
A knee injury cost Jones six of the Dragons’ 11 games in 2014. He finished his junior season with 30 tackles and two forced fumbles, including 18 tackles and one caused fumble after returning from the injury. He had a stellar sophomore campaign featuring 90 tackles, five interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.
Jones will be the only returning player in Nacogdoches’ defensive backfield in 2015. He will try to get the Dragons into the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
2016 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers
- Austin Anderson, OL, Mineola, 6-4, 289 – offers from Arizona State, Arkansas State, Cincinnati, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Vanderbilt (21)
- Riley Anderson, OL, Mineola, 6-5, 287 – offers from Arizona State, Arkansas State, Cincinnati, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Vanderbilt (20)
- Demarco Boyd, RB/LB, Gilmer, 6-0, 215 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Baylor, Florida State, Texas A&M (4)
- Zach Hall, ATH, Tyler Lee, 5-11, 170 – offer from Texas Tech (1)
- Travon Fuller, CB, Athens, 6-0, 160 — committed to Texas A&M (1)
- Brandon Jones, S, Nacogdoches, 6-0, 190 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Boise State, California, Florida State, Georgia, Houston, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tulsa, UCLA, USC, Washington State (38)
- Braylon Jones, DT, John Tyler, 6-3, 285 – offers from Air Force, Army, Houston, Navy (4)
- Bronson Massie, DE/LB, Lufkin 6-3, 202 – offers from California, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Texas State (4)
- Cody Mitchell, TE, Jasper, 6-5, 225 — offers from Missouri, Texas State (2)
- Kendrick Rogers, WR, Frankston, 6-4, 185 — offers from Louisiana Tech, North Texas, SMU (3)
- Aphonso Thomas, RB, Van, 6-0, 190 — offer from Kansas (1)
- Andre Wiley Jr., OLB, Liberty-Eylau, 5-10, 170 – offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech (2)
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