Recruit profile: RB Mack Jones

RB recruit Mack Jones
Photo: Bernd Franke/Welland Tribune

The Basics

Name:  Mack Jones
Position:  Running Back
Height:  6 feet 0 inches
Weight:  210 pounds
High School: Lakeshore CHS [Port Colborne, ON]
Summer Club:  Niagara Spears [OVFL]

Background

In Mack Jones the Gryphons have landed Niagara’s top player and two-time Niagara Offensive MVP. It almost goes without saying Jones was named to the Niagara AAA/AAAA All Star team the past two years. He is joined in this recruiting class by his younger brother Colton who is a receiver. Jones has been tearing it up as a running back since his pre-high school, minor football days. He won a SOSSA Jr. Championship in 2010 and was on Lakeshore’s Golden Horseshoe Bowl winning team in 2012. To me, Jones was just a name I’d heard mentioned as a top RB prospect until I saw him run for 261 yards on 21 carries in an OVFL game last summer. It was the way he did that made it obvious he was a CIS-calibre player.

Commitment Breakdown

Mack Jones is one of five running backs in the 2015 recruiting class. This position was a major area of need with the departure of Rob Farquharson and only 4 RBs on the roster. Farquharson was the 2nd most productive rusher in Gryphon history so there is a major hole to be filled with lots of snaps up for grabs. With the Gryphons often utilizing a 3-back formation they needed to stock up. Returnees include Johnny Augustine, Mason Swift, Rob Carnegie and Daniel Salmon-Palmer.

My Take

Landing Jones continues Guelph’s dominance of Niagara and a pipeline from Lakeshore. Credit for most of that goes to Niagara Recruiter John Cassasanta. The muscular, 210-pound Jones appears physically ready to play. He has played high level competition. He trains more seriously and with an intensity that few high school athletes have. In that way he is like another Niagara RB he will compete with at Guelph – Johnny Augustine. With depth needed at RB I expect Jones will be able to earn some playing time as a freshman. How early and how much time will depend on how quickly he picks the offense up, staying healthy, et cetera.

Odds & Ends

♦  Watch these video clips of a 440 Lb Deadlift and an easy  287 Lb Clean for some proof of his strength and work ethic.
♦  Former teammates at Lakeshore Jones will see join in Guelph include LB Pat Stairs and WR Trey Gervais. Stairs was a backfield mate of Jones in 2013 and earned Niagara All Star honours as a fullback blocking for Jones. OT Kyle Fraser is also a former Lakeshore Gator.
♦  Not just a running back Jones had to fill in at QB for his brother Colton in two games in 2014. He also played linebacker and played on the Lakeshore basketball team.

Film Watch