Shameen Jones, who first debuted for Rutgers against Princeton in 1869, continues to bring a freshness and energy to the Scarlet Knights despite being one of the elder statesmen of the program.
Jones had a career-high 35 receptions last season, putting together what arguably was the best season of his time at Rutgers. And while he joined Rutgers in 2017, the redshirt season is bringing plenty of enthusiasm and energy as he is set for his sixth season with the Scarlet Knights.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound wide receiver from Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) has impressed wide receivers coach Damiere Shaw.
“He’s been great, he’s been great. He’s the same guy every day. When you look at him at practice, you don’t see a guy who has been playing [this long],” Shaw told reporters this week.
“He comes out here with a great approach and a great attitude, wanting to learn. He is flying around in the pass game, in the run game. He’s treating every day like this is his first day and he’s trying to make a first impression. I’ve been extremely pleased with his progress, I’ve been extremely pleased with the attitude he’s brought to the room.”
Jones will need to step up this season and continue his production from the past two years. He certainly has experience, having been a starter at Rutgers for three seasons.
Rutgers loses star wide receiver Bo Melton to the NFL draft this year, meaning that Jones and returning starter Aron Cruickshank will need to step-up their output. Melton was the leading wide receiver on the roster last year.
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They will be joined by transfer portal wide receivers Taj Harris and Sean Ryan, both of whom have significant ‘Power Five’ experience.
“There’s a lot of talent in that room and you start with Shameen Jones. He’s a very talented receiver,” Melton told ‘Rutgers Wire’ in a recent interview.
“Then you have Taj Harris, Sean Ryan, Joshua Youngblood, Isaiah Washington. You go down the line- it is a really, really, really competitive group in there and I’m really excited to see how that shakes out in that room.”
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