Just as much as he uses his instincts on the football field, Oaks Christian senior running back Malcolm Jones is using his instincts off the field.
After recently narrowing his college choice to UCLA and Stanford, Jones told me today that both schools are putting on a pretty good push toward the end.
“These were two of the first schools to recruit me,” Jones said. “Both of the schools have been emailing me more and calling me, and I’m really close to making my decision. I have one more trip to each school, and I should have my decision end of September maybe.”
If the decision has weighed on him, it certainly did not show on Friday night, in the Lion’s 28-17 win over Alemany.
Jones had 275 yards on 37 carries, scoring three times.
The instincts paid off.
He hopes they will again.
“It’s really up to me; I need to pick my good instinct,” Jones said. “What’s really important to me is first, the academics of the school, but also the coaching staff.”
Jones was scheduled to attend UCLA’s season opener with San Diego State on Saturday, but could not. He watched the game at home. He watched Derrick Coleman break runs of 31 and 29 yards. He watched Johnathan Franklin break a 12-yard touchdown run.
He watches, and it was tough.
“A little bit, when you see a school you’re watching, and the position play really well, you get a little worried,” Jones said. “But it just makes me want to go out and prove how good I am.”
How good is still up for debate.
Jones is rated the No. 6 running back by Scout.com as one of six major D-1 recruits from Oaks Christian. Recruiters haunt the school all the time, preying on the stars, praying they land one.
But, Jones said, he pays little attention.
It is UCLA and it is Stanford and the list ends there.
If heavily recruited running back Anthony Barr of Loyola commits as well, so be it.
“It’s pretty firm with just UCLA and Stanford,” Jones said. “Either school is going to get good recruits. (If Barr chooses UCLA) two better players going to UCLA, that’s how I look at it.”