2007 Recruits - Jarvis Jones

This is the penultimate installment of our 23-part series on LSU's 2007 signing class. It is about Jarvis Jones, the last in the LSU Jones Trilogy, behind CB Phelon and SS Chad. Jarvis is listed at 6'7" 250# and plays offensive tackle. He's a 4-star recruit out of Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg, Texas. He seems awfully thin for a 6'7" offensive lineman, but both Rivals and Scout agree on that number, so I won't dispute it, at least as of Signing Day. However, LSUsports.net lists him at 265 now, so he probably put on some weight.

He still has a long way to go. He needs to get to about 300 pounds before he'll really be at his best. He said during his recruitment that he has never really eaten much, so he'll probably pack on the weight once he starts getting into the LSU nutrition program.

There were a few interesting things about his recruitment. When it came down to brass tacks, he was choosing between LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M. He chose LSU, but because he is a rather young recruit, a parent was required to sign off on his Letter of Intent. Rumor was that his mother needed convincing that LSU was the right place for him, in part because LSU was not as close to home as OU or TAMU. Being a parent myself, I have no problem with a parent who wants to take her time and be sure, as long as the parent isn't simply forcing her will on her child for her own selfish reasons. Particularly in this whole recruiting thing, where kids are flattered, wined and dined, and often shown an exaggeratedly rosy view of the life to come, a kid can really be rushed into an unwise decision by a manipulative coach. I can't blame Mother Jones for being concerned.

What happened next was that Jarvis took a visit to LSU with his mother. His mother met the coaches, saw the facilities, talked about her son's future, and toured the campus. In the end, she agreed that Jarvis had made an OK decision and signed off on it.

Jarvis went on to shine at a recent high school all-star game between Louisiana and Texas players. Louisiana dominated the game, but it was reported that Jones beat whoever he went against, and was one of the few Texas players who stood out.

When I look at Jarvis Jones, I realize just how deep and how impressive this 2007 signing class is. Jarvis is a solid 4-star recruit who shined against other D-1 prospects and seems like he has a lot of room to improve, yet he got almost no press because he was overshadowed by other recruits likes Jarrett Lee, Chad Jones, Terrance Tolliver, Joseph Barksdale, etc. Because of his size and position, Jones will very likely redshirt while he gets himself ready to play, body-wise. After that, he could very well end up taking over for the departing Carnell Stewart and be a 4-year starter. This from a guy who was hardly even noticed due to the depth of the class.

Of course, he could also never be a starter. You just never know. Whatever happens to him, he's going to be a valuable member of this team for a while.