DB Avyonne Jones will bring "position versatility" to Wisconsin's secondary
Avyonne Jones, who committed to Wisconsin earlier this week, is listed as a cornerback.
The 6-foot, 180-pound rising senior from Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, however, is expected to play in nickel packages or even at safety for defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. When asked where he projects best, Jones had a simple answer.
"I’m coming in as a DB," Jones, with a laugh, told BadgerBlitz.com.
"And that's one of the things that Coach Leonhard said he saw in my film was my position versatility and the reason why he wanted to recruit me right away," Jones added. "He said they could have as many as five starters leave from their DB room after this year, so they need guys to come in and step up.
"Coach Leonhard was able to stay in the league for so long because of his position versatility, so I liked that he also saw that in me. Him and Coach Po (Hank Poteat) have a great plan for me when I get there."
Jones ultimately chose Wisconsin over Colorado and California, the two other schools he visited officially last month. When asked what gave the Badgers an edge, the three-star prospect had another direct answer.
"The relationships stood out to me. You can’t fake that stuff," Jones said. "During my official visit, one of the things I really liked was the player panel. The stuff they talked about definitely helped me make my decision to come to Wisconsin.
"I talked to Coach (Paul) Chryst for seven or eight hours during the course of the whole visit - not just about football, mainly about other things. He’s a great guy and a big reason why I committed to Wisconsin. He thought my personality was a fit at Wisconsin and in their locker room."
Sixth-year senior Caesar Williams won't be able to play with Jones when he arrives on campus next spring as an early enrollee. But the Texas connection helped UW get the ball rolling in his recruitment.
"When I picked up the offer from Wisconsin, Caes called me right away and said I need to get up there," Jones said. "He’s a laidback guy and for him to make that call, I knew that it meant something.
"I’ve been training with him since I was about 11. Caes is like a big brother for me and he was real happy when I made my decision because he loves Wisconsin."
Jones, who had 60 tackles, 15 pass breakups and two interceptions last fall, is excited to once again put the focus back on his high school team while helping Wisconsin finish its 2022 recruiting class.
"It feels great to make this decision," Jones said. "Now I can change gears and start to focus on what I need to do for my team for us to have another successful season.
"I've been talking to Sebastian Cheeks - he was up there with us that weekend and I’ve been talking to him. I know the other boys have been talking to some other targets, but I’ve mostly been talking to Sebastian."
Wisconsin currently has 10 commitments in the 2022 class.
