While Jayson Jones is still currently committed to Alabama, the four-star in-state defensive lineman is in the process of exploring other options.

The Calera product didn’t sign with the Crimson Tide during the early signing period and has been in contact with other schools such as Baylor, Oregon, Georgia Tech and LSU.

“I’m still verbally committed and I’m not decommitted,” Jones said. “But in the past, I feel like I haven’t given everyone a fair chance at recruitment. That’s what I want to do these next two months.”

Jones committed to Alabama in July 2018. However, after being ranked as high as the 28th-best overall player in the 2020 recruiting class in early 2018, Jones has since dropped close to 200 spots in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

The 6-foot-7, 340-pound Jones is now rated as the 22nd-best defensive tackle and 222nd-best overall player in the 2020 class within those 247 Composite rankings.

While Jones’ preference is to be a defensive lineman, Alabama has been talking to him about shifting to the offensive line and also about blueshirting.

Blueshirting would mean Jones couldn’t officially visit Alabama, couldn’t get an in-home visit from Nick Saban, wouldn’t be listed as a signee on National Signing Day and wouldn’t go on scholarship until fall camp begins in August. The benefit of that for the Tide would be that Jones wouldn’t count again the team’s scholarship total until 2021.

“I didn’t really know how to feel about (blueshirting) at first, but I got to sit down and talk to Saban and he explained it a little bit more,” Jones said. “I’m more comfortable with it now than what I first was.”

Still, Jones is very much looking into other options.

The Under Armour All-American is set to take official visits to Baylor and Oregon in January.

As for his status with Alabama, Jones didn’t want to say whether he thinks there’s still a chance he could end up with the Tide.

“As of right now, we’re not talking," Jones said. "And I can’t tell you why. Just, I don’t know. They haven’t hit me up.”

Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.