Tennessee football made a good impression on Demello Jones. After extending Jones a scholarship offer just over a month ago, the Vols made the cut for Jones’ top schools.
His top-10 included North Carolina, Georgia, Miami, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio State, Notre Dame and South Carolina as well as Tennessee football.
Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports has put a crystal ball in projecting the 6-foot-1, 176-pound athlete will choose Georgia. The in-state Bulldogs hosted Jones for an unofficial visit for their season finale last season.
Jones ranks as the No. 194 prospect nationally. He also ranks as the No. 23 athlete nationally and the No. 28 prospect from Georgia.
Jones got snaps at wide receiver, running back and quarterback for Swainsboro High School in Swainsboro, Ga. He carried the ball for 1,279 yards and 20 touchdowns on 122 carries in 2022. Jones also went for 382 yards and seven touchdowns on 14 catches. On defense, he picked up 44 tackles and seven pass breakups.
Jones likely projects as a wide receiver or cornerback in college, with a possibility he could play both ways. Obviously, the Vols have a greater need in the secondary, but Jones could still have an impact at wide receiver if he commits to play that position.
He also shines in other sports as well. As a sophomore, Jones took gold in the 4×100 event as well as running an 11.17-second 100-meter dash at his fastest during his sophomore year. On the hardwood, Jones averaged 9.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game in his sophomore year.
After putting up solid numbers in 2022, Jones’ recruitment has escalated. He was extended 13 scholarship offers in January alone.
Jones hit the road in January, taking unofficial visits to Alabama and South Carolina.
Tennessee’s class of 2024 currently has four commitments – three-star cornerback Marcus Goree Jr, four-star athlete Johnathan Echols, four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley and three-star defensive lineman Carson Gentle as 2024 commitments.
