TCU Offers Nacogdoches Safety Brandon Jones

Another in-state school is in for the chase of Nacogdoches safety Brandon Jones.

TCU joined Baylor, Texas A&M and Texas Tech as well as Florida State, LSU, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Sunday with its own scholarship offer for the 6-2, 180-pound defensive back. It's Jones' ninth total offer.

Jones, who shared the news Sunday via Twitter, was the lone East Texan in the Class of 2016 to have offers early in the process until Texas A&M offered Athens athlete Travon Fuller on Friday.

The Nacogdoches product recorded 95 tackles, five interceptions, one defensive touchdown and two punt return touchdowns as a sophomore last season.

TCU is no stranger to the region. The Horned Frogs have plucked quite a few East Texan high school football players through the years, including Longview safety Travin Howard in their most recent signing class.

The program has standing offers to five Class of 2015 prospects from the region in Gilmer athlete Kris Boyd, Longview running back JaMycal Hasty, Troup quarterback Blake Lynch, Gladewater defensive tackle Daylon Mack and Sulphur Springs safety Larry Pryor.

Lynch is verbally committed to Baylor, however, while Mack and Pryor have pledged to the Aggies.

The Horned Frogs have usually been a strong defensive team under head coach Gary Patterson. He was a long-tenured linebackers and defensive backs coach before defensive coordinator jobs at New Mexico and TCU itself. He utilizes the 4-2-5 defensive scheme and has helped push the philosophy across the college football landscape as well as the high school level.

TCU's defense ranked No. 24 in the nation last season, allowing about 356 yards per game. That helped the team remain competitive against LSU and its Big 12 opposition despite injuries and offensive difficulties on the way to a tough 4-8 season.

The Horned Frogs overhauled their offensive philosophies in the offseason with the hirings of former Houston offensive coordinator Doug Meacham and former Texas Tech co-offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie.

More East Texans could hear from TCU this summer. The staff is planning on hosting a football camp in the region at a time and location still to be announced.

The program visited Kilgore High School for its 2013 camp on June 5.

2015 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Kris Boyd, ATH, Gilmer, 6-0, 180 — offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Cal, Florida State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech (10)
• Nate Brooks, DB, Whitehouse, 6-0, 150 — offers from Louisiana Tech, North Texas (2)
• Key’Vantanie “KeKe” Coutee, ATH, Lufkin, 5-10, 160 — offers from Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech (3)
• Justin Dunning, WR/S, Whitehouse, 6-4, 200 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt (11)
• Brandon Durman, LB, Tyler Lee, 6-2, 210 – committed to Louisiana Tech (1)
• Roney Elam, CB/S, Newton, 6-2, 175 — offers from Alabama, Baylor, LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (8)
• JaMycal Hasty, RB, Longview, 5-9, 181 — offers from Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (8)
• Kevrin Justice, RB, Kilgore, 5-10, 175 — offer from Houston (1)
• Jaylon Lane, CB, Nacogdoches, 6-2, 175 — offers from Boise State, Houston, Louisiana Tech, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, South Alabama, Texas State, Washington State (8)
• Blake Lynch, QB/ATH, Troup, 6-3, 193 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Clemson, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, TCU (6)
• Daylon Mack, DT, Gladewater, 6-1, 311 – committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, USC (21)
• Terry Mark, WR, Lufkin, 6-1, 180 — offer from Houston (1)
• Erik McCoy, OL, Lufkin, 6-4, 297 — offers from Arkansas State, Houston (2)
• Larry Pryor, S, Sulphur Springs, 6-1, 185 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech (10)
• Matthew Weeks, OT, Tyler Lee, 6-5, 260 — offer from SMU (1)