25 Players in 25 Days: #21 Marco Jones

Position: Defensive Line
Classification: Freshman
Hometown: Dublin, Calif.
Listed Height: 6-5
Listed Weight: 250 lbs

Key notes from Liucci’s thoughts on Jones

• Marco Jones is a freaking stud. It's a matter of when, not if. What I'm talking about is these true freshmen. Jones wasn't a five-star, but in Mike Elko's mind, he was. Elko said that he was the No. 1 defensive end prospect out of high school last year on their board. They had to beat out a real recruiting battle with Oregon. You saw him in the spring game with six sacks. You have to factor in who he was going against on the offensive line. If you watched him and didn't see elite pass rush… then you weren't watching the game.
   
• You talk to all these offensive linemen that come through here, and they say he's the real deal. He's a highly regarded guy. The work ethic is there. He's turning heads in the weight room and in offseason conditioning. And oh by the way, he’s 6-foot-5, 250 pounds. Oh, by the way, he's athletic enough to look like a poor man's Aaron Judge, which is crazy, you only say poor man Aaron Judge because he's 6-foot-8. He's out there hitting bombs off A&M pitching. He went out there and hit some bombs. The day we were out there, he made a lay-out diving catch in the outfield. He's a defensive end.
   
• He's a future NFL defensive end draft pick. His impact this year… I know it'll be day one. He still is a true freshman, and his position has true depth. Not like it was a year ago with two potential first-rounders. But man, this guy is going to be tough to keep off the field. If I have a true freshman that I would pick to have the biggest impact this season, it's Jones.
   
• He's a different player than Colin Simmons or Dylan Stewart, but look what they did last year. Different but same concept. Jones could be very impactful, very early.