2021 DB commit Jay Jones 'still solid' to Tennessee after latest visit

Tennessee had one of its four early 2021 commits on campus last weekend for the first Junior Day of January, as 3-star cornerback Jay Jones from Demopolis (Ala.) made his return to Rocky Top.

The 6-1, 189-pound corner has been a frequent visitor ever since verbally committing to the Vols on the Fourth of July last summer.

“It was good to come back and chop it up with Jeremy Pruitt and (Derrick) Ansley. They’re some great guys.”

Jones speaks with Ansley regularly, and that relationship is a major reason why he chose Tennessee in the first place and remains solid in that decision.

“(Ansley) is a straightforward dude,” Jones said. “He gets his business done. He handles his business very well. The whole staff makes you feel like you’re at home. They make me feel like I was a player, like I’m already on the team.”

While Jones had toured Tennessee’s campus several times and attended a game in Neyland Stadium, Saturday’s visit was an opportunity to dive a bit into Ansley’s playbook. They watched film of Bryce Thompson, Alontae Taylor and others, and how the Vols would use Jones similarly. The junior is nearly 190 pounds now with a long frame to continue to add weight.

“Going over the plays and stuff, I got to learn a little about how their defense operates and stuff, and I really enjoyed that,” Jones said.

Troy and Auburn are two schools who have been in contact with Jones lately, and he plans on visiting each program sometime this spring. He’s also heard from Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, among others, but Jones said he’s “still solid” to Tennessee.

“(My family) is very comfortable with me coming here, knowing that it’s, like, six hours away from my original home,” Jones said. “They’re very comfortable with me coming up here and spending the next three or four years at this school. When I first told them that I wanted to commit, they were very happy. They liked the school already, and so did I.”