Three-Star Cornerback To Choose Between Illinois, UCF, N.C. State On Saturday
It is always considered a victory any time the Illinois Fighting Illini can steal a football recruit from the state of Florida.
The Illini will know if they grabbed one Saturday when three-star cornerback Robert Jones of Vero Beach High School makes his college choice. The Illini are among the finalists along with Central Florida and North Carolina State.
On Friday, Jones gave his thoughts on possibly continuing his career at Illinois in a personal essay written for The Treasure Coast News.
He wrote: "I love Illinois. When I went up there, I loved them athletically and academically. They showed they can take care of me and be the person I want to be at the end of the day. When I see Florida boys that come there and achieve their goal, that means a lot. Devon Witherspoon, Jer’Zhan Newton, guys like that. They’re coaching staff is really hype and as a defensive back you have to have that energy. I love the way they coach their team. I can see myself being a great DB at the University of Illinois."
BLESSED‼️ @takesbyisa @VBFootball @Rivals @247Sports @On3sports @UCF_Football @IlliniFootball @PackFootball pic.twitter.com/qlupSRfcxm
— Robert “Rj” Jones III‼️🙏🏾 (@Robertjones_3) June 20, 2024
Last year the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Jones had 19 tackles, nine pass break-ups and two interceptions. He was an All-Area honorable mention in the North Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Martin County area, a talent-rich patch in the state. He is rated as the No. 88 player in Florida.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com.
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SHANDEL RICHARDSON