Virginia Tech Class of 2019 Prospect Profile: Sheridan Jones

TechSideline’s Class of 2019 Prospect Profile continues today with an elite-level prospect from the Commonwealth — defensive back Sheridan Jones.

Jones is a 6-foot, 170-pound prospect from Norfolk, Va. Jones, who reclassified from the 2020 class to the Class of 2019, played the last two seasons at Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia Beach. He has transferred to Maury High School and will play his final season there.

In terms of offers, Jones is about as highly-touted as they come. He holds 19 scholarship offers so far, including offers from Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Penn State and Oklahoma. Let’s look at how the major recruiting networks view Jones…

Rivals: Four-star, No. 118 overall, No. 4 in Virginia

247Sports: Four-star, No. 268 overall, No. 5 in Virginia

ESPN: Four-star, No. 80 overall, No. 2 in Virginia

Jones is clearly highly-regarded by just about everyone, though ESPN covets Jones more so than Rivals and 247Sports. What does his highlight film say?

First, Jones is a physical player. He seeks out contact and delivers big hits when possible. His tackling technique will need to improve, but Jones should have no problem holding up in the run game. His fluidity, athleticism and top-end speed allow him to track down defenders from behind and chase down plays on the opposite sideline.

In coverage, Jones looks more comfortable playing off his man. Given his physicality, he could become a solid press corner, but as of now, he has more success when playing off his man. He generally displays good instincts, and once a receiver gets his release, Jones can follow him downfield. He flashes good hands on offense, so dropping interceptions shouldn’t be an issue.

Jones is one of the few prospects I’ve had the ability to see in person. At Nike’s The Opening regional outside of Charlotte, N.C. in 2017, Jones had little trouble locking up guys in one-on-one drills. At the time, Jones had just finished his freshman season of high school football. For him to consistently lock up receivers as an underclassman is impressive. 

As a prospect, Jones has good size. Jones’ offer list is phenomenal, and his film shows a solid player with room to grow. Whoever Jones decides to sign with will get a highly-touted player who will have a chance to grow both physically and skill-wise.

Virginia Tech began recruiting Jones early in the process, offering him right before his freshman season in June 2016. The Hokies have stayed on Jones since then, and he plans to make another trip to campus on March 17. If the Hokies can get Jones to take an official, they’ll have a chance at the end of his recruitment. Ohio State, Penn State and Clemson all figure to be contenders in Jones’ recruitment as well.