UCF started it, but Olympia WR now piling up offers
Orlando Olympia’s Victor Jones Jr., a 2022 wide receiver, received his first scholarship offer from UCF a year ago just before spring football, about four months after completing his freshman season.
That offer was followed up another one by the Knights’ rival USF, but the surprising offer for Jones came from Big Ten Maryland. That’s when the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder realized he had what it takes to make it to the highest level of college football.
“Maryland was one of the first, like, really big schools that pulled the trigger on me. They offered after USF and so it went from local to non-local that quickly,” Jones said.
Fast-forward to this year, and Jones has more proof he’s a valuable commodity. Not only is he a big target, but he’s quite fast for his size. Jones runs the 40-yard dash in 4.4-seconds and recently, before the coronavirus shutdown, ran a 200-meter time of 22.3 seconds during a track meet.
“It feels good. I’ve been working hard for the past two years and it feels like my hard work is starting to pay off,” said Jones, who has also picked up offers from Nebraska, West Virginia, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee, Arkansas and Buffalo, while Auburn, FSU and
Clemson have also inquired about his services.
“I was excited about those bigger offers because it put me in an elite group of people who get those kinds of offers early on. I do want to be one of the best in this area and that’s what I’m trying to do,” Jones said.
He’s put up some good numbers in his first two seasons with 63 catches for 1,065 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The offers have piled up, but Jones said he’s not ready to narrow down his list.
“I’m not really looking at favorites right now,” Jones said. “It’s just started, and I want to look at all the colleges with careful consideration because I want to make the right choice for my future. I just really appreciate all the schools that have offered me so far.”
His UCF offer came early in the process, but new co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh has since taken the reins as the Orlandoarea recruiter for the Knights.
The coaches like Jones for more than just his speed.
“The coaches like how tall and lanky I am and how I move for my size,” Jones said. “Usually, the next 6-2, 6-3 guy is not as fast as I am, so they look at that and how elusive I am on the field.”
Jones said the coronavirus has not hurt his recruitment yet, but missing spring football will certainly limit which coaches are able to see of him on the field.
“It’s impacted my spring because I was looking forward to getting to know my new quarterback since our quarterback graduated this year,” Jones said of Olympia’s next signal caller, which will either be Christian Banks, the likely starter going into the season, or C.J. Brooks. “I don’t think it will effect our chemistry because I’ve been working with the quarterback during this stay-at-home order. I don’t think it’s slowing me down, but it may impact some of my teammates as they try to get to know some of our new coaches.”
Head coach Travis Gabriel will enter his third full season at Olympia, and he’s seen his share of defectors during that span, the latest being Isaiah Davis, another big receiver who transferred to Wekiva. Jones, however, said he’s excited to be part of what Gabriel and many others are trying to build at Olympia.
“I’m trying to be that foundation the best I can,” Jones said. “I definitely am kind of sad to see Isaiah go, but it’s going to open up some doors for some of the younger guys we have. I really think some of those guys could be very effective on the team.
“It might get me some more balls, too, but at the end of the day, I just want to win some games. We haven’t been winning the past two years.”