Marco Jones commits to Texas A&M; San Ramon Valley High School LB is California's No. 11 recruit
Offensive players are normally described as "weapons," but San Ramon Valley senior Marco Jones is a special breed on the defensive side of the ball.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound linebacker, California's No. 11 recruit from the class of 2025 according to 247Sports, just committed to Texas A&M for his college destination.
Jones has terrorized offenses the last two seasons, recording a staggering 315 tackles, including 166 as a junior with 15 going for losses. Not only a big hitter, but superb in pass coverage, with a combined seven pass breakups and five interceptions the last two seasons.
Jones picked Texas A&M over Michigan, USC and Texas, all which he visited officially since May 31.
He'll join three other Californians who have already committed to the Aggies, including the state's No. 1 recruit from the Class of 2025 in Corona Centennial quarterback Husan Longstreet. The others are Quartz Hill cornerback Adonyss Currie and Bonita athlete Noah Mikhail.
Longstreet is a 5-star recruit, while the other three are considered 4-star standouts.
"Marco will add an extremely athletic box defender who can play the run, rush the passer and drop into coverage," said San Ramon Valley coach Aaron Becker, a former college quarterback who has been the Wolves' head coach since 2013. "He is a defensive weapon unlike any other I've ever coached and very, very few I've coached against."
Jones has steadily climbed the recruiting ranks since early in his junior season while receiving 31 offers overall.
He visited Michigan first on May 31, followed by Texas A&M on June 6, Texas on June 21 and USC the day after.
Though he plays inside and makes tackles sideline-to-sideline, he's also capable of playing on the edge in college. He could also probably play tight end, but his impact on defense appears endless.
He had 23 catches last season for 366 yards (15.9 average) and seven touchdowns. Of his 31 career catches, 11 have gone for scores. He's also returned three of his five interceptions back for touchdowns.
Jones is also an MLB prospect, proven by participation in the Area Code games, one of the nation's top showcases for baseball players. He hit .347 last season for the Wolves with a team-best 26 RBI to go along with seven doubles, two triples and three home runs. He plays outfield and first base and likely will play baseball in college as well as star on the gridiron.
Becker said Jones is "a very mature young man who is ready to make the jump right now (to college). It's like having a college player on your team."
After today's announcement, he sorta already is.
He made his announcement on a 247Sports live stream, stating that he's always "been about being an underdog, and they haven’t been the most successful program or haven’t won a bunch of national championships in the past few years. But I think they’re going to take that next step in the next few years, and I want to be a part of that.”
Jones said he's always wanted to live in Texas and tried to convince his parents to move there. He's excited about both the first-year coaches he'll play under, football Mike Elko and baseball's Michael Earley.
“Coach Elko is building something special,” Jones said. “He’s a genius on the defensive side of the ball, and he’s hired a lot of great people around him.”
Earley is a former hitting coach, which is also in Jones' wheelhouse.
“Baseball was definitely a big factor,” Jones said in choosing the Aggies.
MITCH STEPHENS