Clemson has landed a major commitment from Norfolk (Va.) Maury four-star cornerback Sheridan Jones.
Jones (6-1, 170) is ranked by ESPN as the No. 9 cornerback and No. 80 overall prospect in the 2019 class.
Prior to announcing his verbal commitment via Twitter on Friday night, Jones was kind enough to speak with The Clemson Insider about his decision.
“I felt like it was the best decision for me and my family,” Jones said. “Clemson is a great school academically and athletically. There is also a need for DBs, so I see it as a great opportunity to fulfill my dreams.”
Jones chose Clemson over offers from Alabama, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Penn State and others.
What set Clemson apart from the pack?
“Clemson is different because of the vibe is just different as soon as you arrive in Clemson,” Jones said. “I can feel the love from everyone and it feels like a true family.”
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, defensive coordinator Brent Venables and cornerbacks coach Mike Reed made Jones a priority target and built a strong relationship with him.
“I have a great relationship with coach Venables and Reed and also coach Swinney,” Jones said. “They see me as a future leader at Clemson University and that’s something I must live up to.”
Jones is ‘All In’, so he felt no need to delay his commitment decision. Now on board, he can start recruiting fellow prospects for the Tigers.
“If I knew where I wanted to go, then why wait is how I see it,” he said. “Now I get the chance to make the recruiting class even better.”
Jones was a member of the 2020 class before he reclassified to the 2019 class in January. He received an offer from Clemson shortly after reclassifying and attended the Tigers’ elite junior day on Jan. 20 before returning for the spring game last weekend.
Clemson is up to 10 commitments in its 2019 recruiting class after receiving six commitments within the last week, including the one from Jones. He becomes Clemson’s first pledge from a cornerback this cycle.
Jones joins Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton safety Joseph Charleston, Calhoun (Ga.) wide receiver Brannon Spector, Riverdale (Ga.) tight end Jaelyn Lay, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy punter Aidan Swanson, Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab linebacker Bryton Constantin, Avon (Conn.) Old Farms quarterback Taisun Phommachanh, Shelby (N.C.) Crest safety Lannden Zanders, Miami (Fla.) South Dade wide receiver Frank Ladson and Naples (Fla.) running back Chez Mellusi in the class.
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