An overwhelming amount of proverbial hay is in the proverbial barn for Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal and his program as the 2020 recruiting cycle reaches a relatively subdued end. With 21 players officially signed to the Ducks’ 2020 recruiting class entering the day Wednesday, there was expected to be only one to two more additions to that group with the opening of the late signing period.

The domino most expected to fall in Oregon’s favor on Wednesday did just that, as the Ducks received a signed letter of intent from Calera (Ala.) four-star defensive lineman Jayson Jones.

SIGNED.#FHP 🧡 pic.twitter.com/OptTtJ3yZz

— Jayson Elijah Jones (@TheJaysonJones) February 5, 2020

A long-time verbal commitment to the home state Alabama Crimson Tide, Jones made the decision to head west not long after a taking a momentum-swinging official visit to Eugene roughly a week and a half ago. With his commitment, Jones is the 22nd player to pledge to Oregon’s 2020 recruiting class and is the fifth defensive lineman, joining Jake Shipley, Maceal Afaese, Bradyn Swinson, and Jaylen Smith. Remarkably, Jones is also the fourth player from the state of Alabama to commit to the Ducks in the previous two recruiting cycles, joining Trikweze Bridges (2019), DJ James (2019), and Robby Ashford (2020).

After garnering 20 scholarship offers during the recruiting process, Jones chose Oregon over a final four consisting of Alabama, Baylor, and Georgia Tech. With the addition of Jones, the Ducks’ 2020 class ranks 12th in the country, in addition to being no. 1 in the Pac-12, per 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings.

Below we take a closer look at Jones’ game, examining his weaknesses and strengths, as well as projecting how he may make an impact for the Ducks when he ultimately arrives on campus.

Notable weaknesses:

• Lacks explosiveness: No one expects a 6-foot-7, 340-pound person to be wired with quick-twitch muscle fiber, but it’s worth noting that Jones doesn’t quite possess the explosiveness and ability to fire off the line of scrimmage of top-level players that are comparable in size. He’s almost exclusively a run-stopping, hole-clogging force in the middle of the defensive line.
• Height could be an issue: The downside of Jones’ size, and specifically his height, is the fact that it’s difficult for him to play with consistent pad level from play to play. Jones has a tendency to play too upright, allowing opposing offensive linemen to get into his body and neutralize him at the point of attack.
• Inconsistent physicality, effort: For as big as Jones is, he doesn’t always perform like a player who possesses a serious physical advantage over just about every opponent he comes up against. His lackluster motor and inconsistency in imposing his will physically must be something he continues to address as he moves to the next level.

Notable strengths:

• Tremendous size: Physically speaking, there’s very few defensive linemen at any level of football who compare to Jayson Jones. His gargantuan size will offer a tantalizing canvas for Oregon defensive line coach Joe Salave’a, as Jones has the physical profile of a player who can not only out-muscle opponents at the line of scrimmage but also impact the passing game with his ability to disrupt passing lanes with his length.
• Good athlete: Though he may lack explosiveness, Jones moves rather well for a player of physical stature. He’s blessed with nimble feet and impressive coordination, which should serve him well as he competes to see the field along a loaded defensive front.

Overall outlook:

Though he’s much taller than his future fellow teammate at nose tackle, Jayson Jones strikes us as a king-size version of Jordon Scott. Though Scott was a little more sudden and disruptive than Jones at the same stage in his high school career, both players are quality wide-bodied athletes who particularly excel at clogging up running lanes. The key for Jones, however, will be patterning his game after Scott when it comes to playing with physicality and passion each and every play. It’s difficult to deny the impact Jones can have when he’s engaged and motivated, but there are often times when that level of focus wanes. The good news is that Ducks defensive line coach Joe Salave’a does a great job extracting the best out of his charges. Though Jones figures to be somewhat of a project during his first and/or second season on campus, with a little physical and technical development, don’t be surprised to see Jones emerge as a potential future linchpin for the Ducks at nose tackle.

Top Photo: Calera (Ala.) DL Jayson Jones (Jayson Jones/Twitter)