On Saturday night, Nebraska got the 20th known commitment with the addition of 4-star safety Cam Jones. The safety became the sixth player to join the Nebraska class since Jan. 10. Nebraska won a tough battle with Baylor and Ole Miss to secure his pledge. Here are five thoughts on his commitment.
Defensive Back Turnaround
No one could have imagined after losing 4-star Brendan Radley-Hiles, 4-star Chase Williams, 4-star Mario Goodrich and the 4-star heavy Nebraska lean Christian Tutt that Nebraska would end up with this much quality in the secondary this class. Nebraska signed JUCO CB Deontai Williams, has a verbal commitment from Braxton Clark and a transfer from ATH Breon Dixon who figures to see time at safety and linebacker. Adding Jones to that mix give Nebraska a good collection of secondary talent in a year they had to have it.
In-the-Box Safety
One of the first times I interviewed Jones, I asked him if he was a safety or corner. He told me that he thought corner was boring and that he liked to hit people. That’s exactly the type of mindset you need to have to be a good in-the-box safety in the Big Ten. I believe Jones will end up being a very good Big Ten safety.
Messing with Texas
In the 2017 recruiting class, Nebraska signed three players from the state of Texas. That was up from zero in 2016 and one in 2015 during Mike Riley’s transition class. Nebraska would be wise to continue trying to get talent from the Lone Star State. Having a native Texan, Greg Austin on the staff could help with those efforts.
Done with Defensive Back Recruiting?
Something that could potentially be awkward is that Nebraska is hosting 3-star athlete Cam Taylor on campus this weekend. With Jones joining the class, that makes things a bit cloudy as to how Taylor fits. Taylor projects as a safety in college, though he did a bit of everything for his high school team. There is also the possibility of Nebraska still adding cornerback Taiyon Palmer, who Nebraska would find a spot for should he want in the class.
Increased Competition at Safety
Jones joins a secondary in Lincoln that has a lot of talent already. Aaron Williams, Antonio Reed, Breon Dixon, Marquel Dismuke and JoJo Domann are all in the mix and Jones is another talented player vying for playing time. The more competition you have, the better your overall team will be and the competition at the safety position just got even tougher.
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
