Quarterback John Stephen Jones, the grandson of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, received a scholarship offer from new Arkansas Coach Chad Morris late Friday night.
Jones, 5-10 1/2, 185 pounds, 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Dallas Highland Park also has scholarship offers from Texas Tech, Jacksonville and Davidson.
He competed 20 of 30 passes for 226 yards while rushing 11 times for 53 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 37-35 victory over Mansfield Lake Ridge in the state quarterfinals Friday night with Morris in attendance.
"I've been talking to Coach Morris while he was at SMU," Jones said. "While he was there he said we're going to wait and talk until after my season is over and then once he moved to Arkansas we texted back and forth congrats, and he said I want you here with me. He came and watched me play last night and we talked after the game, and I called him later that night and [he] offered me a blueshirt scholarship."
As a blueshirt, Jones would pay his own way and go through team activities for a semester, then go on scholarship in the fall or the following year and count toward the 2019 class.
"I'm just thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to play there," Jones said."It's a dream come true ... since I was a little kid. It's just an honor."
Jones led Highland Park to the Class 5A Division II state championship as a junior when he completed 202 of 335 passes for 3,017 yards, 30 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He also had 119 carries for 278 yards and 4 touchdowns.
He's the son of former University of Arkansas, Fayetteville linebacker Stephen Jones, who is now the Cowboys' chief operating officer and executive vice president.
"My dad was very excited," Jones said. "He was the first one I told. He was just super pumped."
Jones has completed 218 of 301 passes for 3,828 yards and 48 touchdowns while rushing for 407 yards and 8 touchdowns on 97 carries this season. He admits to be an undersized quarterback, but it doesn't impact his ability to make plays.
"What I see is if you're good enough, you're big enough," Jones said.
Morris in LR
Razorbacks Coach Chad Morris and Barry Lunney Jr. were at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Saturday afternoon to watch Warren and Arkadelphia for the Class 4A state championship game. Morris was on hand to watch highly regarded junior receiver Treylon Burks, who has numerous scholarship offers, including one from the Hogs.
Arkadelphis junior athlete Zion Hatley is a promising prospect and one Morris likely took a look at, too.
Lunney was the tight ends coach under former Coach Bret Bielema. There has been no official word if he will be retained by Morris.
Neighbors lands another
Arkansas women's basketball Coach Mike Neighbors is off to a fast start in landing top talent for the 2019 recruiting class after the recent oral commitment of center Destinee Oberg.
Oberg, 6-2, of Burnsville (Minn.) Academy Of Holy Angels chose the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Maryland, Washington and others.
ProspectsNation.com rates Oberg as the No. 4 post and No. 26 overall prospect in the nation for the 2019 class.
"I think what's really rare about Destinee is her ability to score with either hand," said Chris Hansen of ProspectsNation.com "It's really hard to find post players these days or kids even capable of playing inside that have a go-to move, let alone have the ability to score with either hand."
Hansen compares Oberg to former Washington All-American Chantel Osahor, who played for Neighbors.
"She [reminds me of] Chantel Osahor in terms of her ability to impact the game with more than just one thing," Hansen said. "Chantel was an amazing passer. Destinee may not have the flair Chantel has, but the vision and the touch and the ability to see passing lanes and play unselfishly, they have a lot of that in common."
Neighbors started recruiting Oberg while at Washington. Hansen said Hog fans are in for a treat.
"She's going to be exciting to watching the post because the way an exciting guard can cross somebody over and get the crowd involved," Hansen said. "I think her ability to to put counter moves together on the block... she's going to be tough to guard."
Neighbors received the commitment of Lawton (Okla.) Eisenhower wing and 2019 prospect Ginger Reece, 5-10, in June. ProspectsNation.com rates Reece the No. 16 wing and No. 64 overall prospect in the nation.
E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 12/10/2017