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DEL.ICIO.USGainesville WR Tai-Ler Jones says it’s “not too late” for UGA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Gainesville wide receiver Tai-Ler Jones, who is one of the nation’s leaders in early scholarship offers with 27, said it’s “not too late” for UGA to get involved before he trims down to a dozen schools by the end of the week.
Georgia is one of the few remaining schools that Jones has expressed a high level of interest in but has yet to offer. When Jones told the AJC last week that he was about to narrow his list, several UGA assistants called Gainesville over the following two days. The Bulldogs didn’t offer, but heavily encouraged Jones and two Gainesville teammates, junior quarterback Blake Sims and sophomore linebacker A.J. Johnson, to visit Athens on March 21.
Why hasn’t Georgia offered Jones? It’s a question he’s asked every day by classmates. He grew up a Bulldogs fan, and UGA is located only 40 miles south of Gainesville. Jones said he walks by a picture every day of Georgia athletics director Damon Evans, who is a 1988 graduate of Gainesville High. Jones spoke with Georgia assistant Tony Ball, who coaches wide receivers.
“Coach Ball said that they just finished with the 2009 class, and that they were looking at every wide receiver they felt could play at Georgia,” Jones said. “He said they narrowed down that list, and we’re now going to stay in touch with the guys they really liked … and they really liked me.”
However, Jones said when he trims his list to a dozen, it will only consist of schools that have already made offers. “It’s just getting close to [Gainesville’s] spring football practice and the summer. The time frame to study all these schools in depth is slowly getting smaller. I feel like I need to get down to 12 by the end of the week, and then maybe five before the start of the season.”
What about Georgia? Would he still consider the Bulldogs, even though they haven’t offered? “Right now, I’m just looking at what I have on the table [in offers]. Any of the schools would have to have a serious interest in me, so I could take a serious interest in them.” When pressed further about Georgia, Jones said, “It’s not too late [for Georgia]. Probably up until the day I commit, any school would have a chance to talk with me.”
The 6-foot, 180-pound Jones admitted that before the recruiting process intensified and he was flooded with nearly 30 offers, that UGA and Clemson were his two favorites. Clemson finally offered last week. “Yes sir, that would be correct,” Jones said with a laugh. “But once everything got started, I became more open-minded, putting every school at the same level until I look at them closer.”
Jones, whose father played at Notre Dame, is an honors student who carries a 3.56 grade-point average and 25 ACT score (first attempt). He had 81 receptions for more than 1,000 yards and 21 touchdowns last year, and has been clocked at 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Rivals reports that UGA has offered five 2010 wide receivers, including one from Georgia, Booker T. Washington’s Antonio Goodwin.
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