.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright © 2020 Albuquerque Journal

Wednesday afternoon, when Nathaniel Jones’ teammates signed their respective letter of intent, the St. John Bosco High (Bellflower, Calif.) power running back stayed quiet.

“I just wanted it to be a surprise for people,” Jones said of his college commitment.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip

................................................................

Boy, was it.

Jones signed with the University of New Mexico on Wednesday night.

In a way, UNM surprised Jones. He said during a telephone interview Thursday that he never really thought about the Lobos until UNM coach Danny Gonzales and his staff came into the picture last week.

“I wanted to take the visit to New Mexico and see what it was like,” Jones said of his visit last weekend. “Everyone felt like family. It was a nice experience. Just the whole experience and the coaching staff was welcoming. Everyone had a nice vibe to them. I like the whole city. The academic program there is amazing.”

Jones, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound four-star recruit rated by ESPN, is the highest-rated recruit in UNM’s class of 23 that signed to play for the Lobos on Wednesday. He is also among the highest-rated recruits in the Mountain West Conference this offseason.

Gonzales said Rocky Long, the former UNM head coach and now the Lobos’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, played a key role in the recruitment of Jones.

When Jones de-committed from UCLA two weeks ago, he nearly joined USC, but the Trojans didn’t have room for him. USC coach Clay Helton called Rocky Long to let him know, Gonzales said.

Gonzales was already familiar with Jones. The former Arizona State defensive coordinator recruited Jones a year ago and the Sun Devils offered him a scholarship. Gonzales then re-established his relationship with Jones and his family. Jones’ mother Ardonna and aunt Lushanda also came on the visit to UNM.

Jones said he just didn’t feel comfortable with UCLA, and that led him to reopen his recruitment. He had offers from Georgia, ASU, Oregon, Florida and Boston College.

He said soon after de-committing from UCLA, he felt as if he was going to play for the Trojans.

“It just didn’t fall through,” he said.

Boise State, Oregon State, San Jose State and Colorado State showed interest, he said, but he became intrigued with UNM.

“He felt that New Mexico was the best place for him,” St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro said. “He believes it’s an opportunity for him to play early.”

Jones concurred.

“Power, speed, aggressiveness,” Jones said of his running style. “I run with attitude.”

In the first game of his junior year for St. John Bosco, Jones suffered a torn left ACL and was lost for the season. He got off to a slow start his senior season but led the Braves in rushing in the postseason, Negro said, and contributed to their state title win over De La Salle and CIF Southern Section championship victory over rival Mater Dei. Jones finished second on the team in rushing with 598 yards as part of a three-back attack.

“He’s dynamic,” Negro said. “One of the leading backs in California. He’s a big, physical, downhill-type guy with breakaway speed. He’s a complete package. He was a huge contributor mainly from a leadership standpoint.”

Jones was one of 18 St. John Bosco seniors who signed to play college football (eight on Wednesday), and 17 joined FBS programs. The Braves finished their 13-1 championship season ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today and MaxPreps.

Jones said the winning gave him great confidence. Now he goes to a UNM team that has gone 8-28 the past three seasons and is set for a rebuild with a new coach.

“I’m ready,” Jones said. “I’ve prepared myself. I wouldn’t have committed to New Mexico if I wasn’t ready. I think the coaches have a great scheme. Everyone out there is ready. They love it there. I feel like everything is going to go well.”

Gonzales believes in Jones.

“He’s good enough to play at the next level (NFL); he’s got the talent,” Gonzales said. “Now, it’s up to him to make that happen. He saw here with the Brian Urlachers, the Hank Basketts, the Ryan Cooks, the guys that we’ve had in the past, if you just play they’ll find you. He believes in what we’re doing, and his family felt comfortable with where he would be and who was he going to be around … We were able to steal one.”