Jones ran 4.52 seconds at the Husker camp in the 40-yard dash and jumped 10-0 in the broad jump. Earlier this month at South Dakota, he went 10-5 1/2 in the broad jump. He also has a 35-inch vertical.

Whether this works out or not, the entertainment value of the On3 meltdowns is worth it imo

Donovan Jones commitment: What does it mean for Nebraska?​

Bryan Mongo •about 9 hours
2024 DB Donovan Jones from Omaha North

Nebraska has landed their 15th commitment in the 2024 class which also happens to be the sixth defensive back. Donovan Jones, from Omaha (Neb.) North, is the third player from the state of Nebraska to commit to Matt Rhule and Nebraska.

The talented defensive back grabbed the Nebraska coaching staffs’ interest last week following a camp performance in Lincoln. Jones picked up an offer following the camp, and committed following an official visit this week.

Here are our thoughts on what the Donovan Jones commitment means to Nebraska and the 2024 class:

1. Jones becomes the fifth, known commitment who is penciled in to play in the secondary for Nebraska. Jones is the first player from Omaha North to commit to Nebraska since Michael Decker in the 2015 class and joins Tyson Terry who is committed to Nebraska as part of the 2025 class.

2. The 3-3-5 is going to give some reason for Nebraska fans to recalibrate how they look at recruiting classes. The extra person in the secondary seems insignificant, but 45% of the defense is now in the back third (the secondary). Expect these numbers to be more in-line with how we have looked at offensive line classes in the past.

3. Jones is the third player from the state of Nebraska to jump into the 2024 class. He joins quarterback Daniel Kaelin from Bellevue West and defensive lineman Ashton Murphy from Elkhorn South who are all from the Omaha-metro area.

4. There are still some very big fish out there for Nebraska to get from in-state and adding another in-state guy tends to strengthen your cause. Nebraska has already hosted offensive tackle Caleb Pyfrom from Omaha Central for an official visit and they will host Ainsworth tight end Carter Nelson, and Bellevue West wide receivers Dae’Vonn Hall and Isaiah McMorris this weekend in Lincoln.

5. Jones’ commitment to Nebraska follows a very familiar theme: great athlete. According to Larry Martin, the Omaha North head coach, there are some great testing times for Jones that not everyone knows about. Coach Martin shared that Jones has run a 4.62 laser 40-yard dash, 4.08-second pro agility, and also has a 35-inch vertical jump.

6. Along with most of the other defensive backs already in the class for Nebraska, Jones probably figures into more of a cornerback position in the 3-3-5, but he has good size. At the in-state tour in February, Jones was 6-foot-0.5 and 180-pounds which could put him into some other spots in the secondary as either that post safety or even the rover spot. I would look for him to be slotted initially for a cornerback spot.

7. There are some clips of Jones in his HUDL moving between corner and safety spots. What you really have to appreciate is that he will come downhill and hit someone. This is another camp offer by Matt Rhule and his staff so they must have seen that versatility and athleticism in camp beyond the any earlier evaluation. It pays to go to camp!

8. Nebraska commitment breakdown​

Tyneb23 said:

Suck it @Dell Husker

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Can’t win em all

Who’s better..this kid or Benning?

Bootleg11 said:

Who’s better..this kid or Benning?

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This kid

ChocaEgg said:

This kid

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Well that’s good

Bootleg11 said:

Who’s better..this kid or Benning?

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I know this is a bit of a copout, but they are extremely different types of recruits - DJ is one of those rare athletes, where as CB isn't as athletic, but more instinctual. For that reason, I like Jones more as a CB and Benning more as a Safety.

Lionsfan93 said:

I know this is a bit of a copout, but they are extremely different types of recruits - DJ is one of those rare athletes, where as CB isn't as athletic, but more instinctual. For that reason, I like Jones more as a CB and Benning more as a Safety.

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Can't tell if Caleb's instinct is sufficient without knowing how fast he is. If he is 4.9 in the 40, for example, his instincts are almost meaningless.