Tag: Anthony Jones

Auburn receives predictions to land 2026 wide receiver Cederian Morgan

Could Auburn’s 2026 class be the best in program history?

Auburn football’s 2026 class is shaping into one of its best classes in program history.

After landing three four-star prospects during Big Cat Weekend, Auburn wants to keep the momentum by landing a four-star wide receiver from Alexander City to its collection.

Following the busy weekend, Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente and Jason Caldwell have submitted “crystal ball predictions” in favor of Auburn landing [autotag]Cederian Morgan[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver from Benjamin Russell High School (Ala.). The predictions from Clemente and Caldwell outweigh a previous prediction from 247Sports National Recruiting analyst Tom Loy’s prediction from June in favor of Alabama.

Morgan was one of many 2026 prospects to visit Auburn for Big Cat Weekend, where he spent his time getting to know Auburn coaches and spending time with current players, including his former high school teammate [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag].

“I got a chance to get closer with all of the players and coaches,” Morgan said in an interview with Auburn Undercover. “They just made me feel like home. It would be a good place for me to be.”

Morgan is a four-star wide receiver according to 247Sports. He is the No. 4 overall wide receiver from the class and is the No. 2 recruit from Alabama, trailing Auburn target [autotag]Anthony Jones[/autotag] for the top spot. Auburn possesses three of the state’s top 10 recruits from the 2026 cycle on their recruiting board: EDGE [autotag]Hezekiah Harris[/autotag] (No. 3), LB [autotag]Shadarius Toodle[/autotag] (No. 6), and LB [autotag]JaMichael Garrett[/autotag] (No. 8).

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2026 EDGE Anthony Jones schedules Auburn visit

Alabama’s top 2026 recruit will be on campus during a critical recruiting weekend.

Auburn football is looking to get a head start in its 2026 recruiting efforts, and one of its top targets has scheduled a visit during a critical weekend.

[autotag]Anthony Jones[/autotag], a five-star EDGE from Mobile, will be on campus during Auburn’s annual Big Cat Weekend beginning July 27 according to a report by On3’s Chad Simmons.

Auburn has been high on Jones’ list as he has visited the Plains four times this calendar year. He is intrigued by Auburn’s culture, the proximity of Auburn’s campus to his hometown, and his fit within the Tigers’ defense. He has also built a strong relationship with EDGE coach [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag], which whom he has held a strong bond since the early days of his recruitment.

“Oh, I love him, he’s a great coach,” Jones said of Aldridge in a recent interview with Auburn Live. “We get along well. I can see myself playing for him, too. He’s really saying I am a top priority for the 2026 class. He just wants to get me back on campus and stuff.”

Jones is the top recruit from Alabama from the 2026 cycle according to every major recruiting outlet, and is the No. 1 EDGE prospect by ESPN, 247Sports, and Rivals. Auburn is the program to beat for Jones according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 32.5% forecast, with LSU, Alabama, and Georgia next in line.

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Auburn football is a ‘top three’ choice for five-star EDGE Anthony Jones

Auburn made a giant leap forward in recruitment of Alabama’s top 2026 recruit during a recent visit.

Auburn football has been on a tear lately on the recruiting trail and is making an impression on another top prospect.

[autotag]Anthony Jones[/autotag], a 2026 five-star EDGE from St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mobile, visited Auburn last Saturday before competing in a camp with his high school on Sunday. While on the Plains, Jones spent time with defensive line coach [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag] and learned several new techniques.

“It was good, I feel like (Aldridge) taught me some stuff,” Jones said in an interview with On3. “I really liked it because we got closer. The relationship is getting closer.”

Several power programs across the south have reached out to Jones including LSU, Georgia, Florida State, and Alabama. Auburn made quite an impression on Jones, as he tells On3 that the Tigers are now in his “top three” college choices, and that he plans to visit again for Big Cat Weekend in late July.

Jones is the No. 8 overall recruit from the 2026 class according to On3’s Industry Ranking, and is the top recruit from Alabama according to all major recruiting outlets. Alabama has a slight edge over Auburn as the current favorite to secure Jones’s signature, with LSU and Georgia next in line.

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Regression is cause for concern with USC RB coach Anthony Jones

Anthony Jones did a lot of good work at Memphis and TCU, but some seasons didn’t hit the mark.

Anthony Jones, in his coaching career, has generally improved the rushing games at the schools where he has worked. However, there are some instances of regression within the larger story of improvement at Memphis and TCU. That is something USC will be watching this year in the Big Ten Conference.

USC football analyst Josh Webb has more on how Jones’s Memphis rushing games fell off the pace after a really strong and positive 2018 season:

“2019 saw a pretty significant decrease in yards at Memphis, dropping by 33%,” Webb noted. “Attempts dropped by 10%, TDs dropped by 33%, and yards per carry dropped by 25%. A slight drop-off from 2018 production would make sense, but the numbers across the board were worrying and 2020 proved why. Yes, COVID does help explain things, but the massive drop in numbers for a team that played three fewer games is worrisome.

“In 2020, Memphis posted 396 attempts for 1,861 yards and nine touchdowns, and an average of 4.03 yards per carry on an average of 36 attempts per game. That’s a 35% decrease in total attempts, an 81% decrease in touchdowns, a 59% decrease in total rushing yards, and a 36% decrease in average yards per carry. In 2019, by contrast, Memphis posted over 3,000 rushing yards with 32 touchdowns. You could point to COVID but for the fact that 2021 didn’t really see a return to form.

“2021 rushing totals at Memphis were relatively unchanged compared to 2020. The Tigers rushed for just over 1,900 yards with a four-yards-per-carry average and 18 total touchdowns. While Jones’s move to TCU led to a boost in the Horned Frogs’ overall stats in 2022, the numbers regressed in 2023, much as they did at Memphis. He spent two years at TCU and if you compare his first year to his second year, the second year was noticeably worse.

“TCU saw a 28% decrease from the year prior in total rushing attempts, a 36% decrease in rushing yards, a 10% decrease in average yards per carry, a 48.65% decrease in touchdowns, and a 10% decrease in the total number of rushing attempts per game.”

We aren’t entering Year 2 for Jones at USC. First things first. However, the question of sustainability is undeniably something to look at when evaluating Jones.

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Improvement is a part of Anthony Jones’ track record with running backs

Anthony Jones improved the rushing attacks of the teams he has coached for.

Anthony Jones is the new running backs coach at USC football. There are a number of obvious reasons Lincoln Riley tabbed Jones to replace the very effective Kiel McDonald at the position on the Trojans’ coaching staff. One is Jones’ clear track record of improvement at his various stops.

USC football analyst Josh Webb dove into the details:

“When Jones took over at Cordova High in Tennessee,” Webb told us, “his teams exceeded the national averages with his running game. In rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns, Cordova usually exceeded the national average in every category, with the exception of one specific instance in one year. In 2014, Jones’ second year with the team, the total of rushing touchdowns that year, 16, was below the national average of 22. However, Cordova still beat the national average in yards and rushing attempts that year and every other year Jones was there. Rushing touchdowns were above average in Jones’ other seasons at Cordova. His running attacks were consistently above-average.

“The college game took notice of this and Memphis hired him to coach the Tigers’ running backs. In his first year with the team in 2018, Memphis saw a 35% increase in the total number of rushing attempts, a 52% increase in their total rushing yards, and a 45% increase in touchdowns. Even their yards per attempt jumped up by a significant margin going from 5.66 yards to 6.37 yards per carry, an increase of 12%.”

Improvement was real under Anthony Jones, who then helped TCU make the national championship game in the 2022 season. No wonder USC hired him.

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Michigan State football lands transfer commitment from DE Anthony Jones

Michigan State has picked up a new DE transfer

Michigan State football has made a splash in the transfer portal, landing the commitment of defensive end transfer Anthony Jones. Jones originally played for Oregon out of high school, before transferring to Indiana, and now MSU.

He has had 13 tackles in his two year career, and will bring 3 years of eligibility to East Lansing.

Jones comes to the Spartans to reunite with Chad Wilt, who previously was Indiana’s DC, but is now MSU’s rush ends coach.

Michigan State will continue to look to improve the roster in the portal.

READ: MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL SPRING TRANSFER TRACKER

Four-star athlete, projected running back Daune Morris commits to USC

USC is getting some offensive recruits to balance out its defensive recruits.

It’s another recruiting win for new USC running backs coach Anthony Jones Jr. Jones and Lincoln Riley have to be really happy today. They have landed four-star running back and athlete Daune Morris from Chattanooga.

Jones coached at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and is from Chattanooga. He developed a connection with Morris while he was coaching at TCU.

Morris ran for 2,012 yards last season, adding 565 receiving yards and scoring 36 total touchdowns.

Morris is rated the No. 428 overall prospect and the No. 23 athlete, according to the 247Sports composite. He is the No. 63 athlete in the 247Sports rankings. He also plays safety but is fully expected to play running back at USC under Lincoln Riley. Morris gives USC even more depth in the running back room, something the Trojans will need when they move to the Big Ten Conference and play a more rugged style of football than what we have seen in the Pac-12.

Morris picked USC over Auburn, Missouri, Duke, Florida, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Tennessee,  and Wake Forest among many others.

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New USC running back coach Anthony Jones Jr. knows how to beat Michigan

Anthony Jones’ TCU team rushed for 263 yards in a 51-point explosion versus Michigan in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl.

As you likely know by now, the USC Trojans hired TCU Horned Frog running backs coach Anthony Jones Jr. to the same position. Jones worked with TCU for the last two seasons. One obvious point on the resume which stands out about Jones: He was part of a coaching staff which defeated Jim Harbaugh and Michigan in a College Football Playoff semifinal. With USC moving to the Big Ten, being able to beat Michigan is a real plus for any coach Lincoln Riley brings aboard.

Jones’ 2023 team at TCU was ranked No. 11 in the nation in total offense (466.7), led by Emani Bailey, who was No. 20 in the nation in rushing yards (1,209) and No. 14 in rushing yards per game (100.8).

In 2022, Jones worked side-by-side with former TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and helped to coach the Horned Frogs to the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The Frogs scored 51 points on Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl, with lead running back Emari Demercado rushing for 150 yards on just 17 carries. TCU ran for 263 yards against Michigan’s defense. You think that won’t get USC fans excited when they face Michigan in September of 2024?

Prior to his two-year stint at TCU, Jones was the running backs coach at Memphis, where he worked for four seasons and developed NFL running backs such as Kenneth Gainwell, Antonio Gibson, Darrell Henderson Jr. and Tony Pollard.

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LSU offers 2026 linebacker from Mobile, Alabama

LSU’s recruiting staff found a “Tank” in Mobile, Alabama.

LSU is looking for talented linebackers for their 2026 recruiting class. They took a trip to south Alabama and ran into a kid that St. Paul’s Episcopal calls “Tank.”

[autotag]Anthony Jones[/autotag] is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound linebacker from Mobile, Alabama… The St. Paul’s Saints finished the 2022 season 7-6 with a loss to Theodore in the third round of the AHSAA 6A state playoffs.

There are currently no Crystal Ball projections for Jones, but Alabama is a 34% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Jones is a large guy who is a menace at outside linebacker for St. Paul’s.

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Report: Linebacker Anthony Jones expected to enter the portal

Anthony Jones is the latest Oregon Duck to enter the transfer portal.

According to a report form Matt Zenitz of On3.com, Oregon Ducks redshirt freshman linebacker Anthony Jones is expected to leave the program and enter the transfer portal.

It’s just another hit to the linebacker depth chart for the Ducks, as they’ve seen players such as Keith Brown and Justin Flowe already leave and find new homes.

Jones wasn’t expected to be a big part of the 2023 season as Oregon has linebackers Jeffrey Bassa, Jestin Jacobs, Jamal Hill along with unproven players like Devon Jackson, Harrison Taggart, and Elijah Williams already looking to make an impact.

Jones was one of the top athletes in Nevada when he was recruited from the 2021 before coming to Oregon where he utilized his redshirt season last year.

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