Atlanta Journal Constitution
7/22
'Talent speaks for itself'
Colleges, national media flock to football prospect
Derrick Mahone - Staff
Thursday, July 21, 2005
When Washington coach Rodney Cofield says Reshad Jones could be the best prospect he has coached, it really says a lot about the senior defensive back.
During his 11-year tenure at the school, Cofield has worked with his share of top college prospects. Beside all the major colleges asking about Jones, Cofield has fielded calls from the national media, such as ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
"You name it and all the big schools have been recruiting him," Cofield said. "He is an all-around athlete. He is something special."
It is easy to see why the colleges have been flocking to Jones. He has a chiseled 6-foot-3, 190-pound body that can cover the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds. Last season, he had eight interceptions at free safety.
Jones attended camps at Auburn and Arkansas this summer. He said he would take some visits this fall before narrowing his list of colleges.
"I just want to take some visits to get to know the coaches," Jones said. "I want to see the campuses to get a feel for everything. Wherever I go, I want to play early."
This fall, Jones will be watching college games closely on television to see what teams are in need of help in the secondary.
Already qualified under NCAA requirements, Jones could step in and play right away for a school. He said it will be tough making a decision with so many choices.
"It is real hard when you have a lot of top D-I schools looking at you," Jones said. "I just have to choose the one that I think is best for me. I'm looking forward to meeting these coaches."
Recruiting analyst Scott Kennedy of scout.com said that Jones is one of the top 10 recruits in the state this season. He has seen Jones play on numerous occasions.
"I like him a lot because of his size and instinct," Kennedy said. "He will need to get a little bigger. He breaks to the ball well. He has the talent to play anywhere."
Kennedy scouted a Washington game last season and was impressed with Jones.
"He caught my eye right off the bat," Kennedy said.
While all the excitement about recruiting is fun to Jones, he said he will take it all in stride. The Bulldogs are the defending Region 5-AAAA champions and reached the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
Jones said his main focus is getting Washington back in the title hunt.
"It (the attention) has boosted me up a little bit, but I try not to let that take over my game," Jones said. "I just go out the same way I have been doing and play hard. I'm a little surprised by all the attention, but I think my talent speaks for itself."
