Florida football recruiting: 2019 dual-threat QB Jalon Jones commits to Gators

One of the first orders of business for any coach’s first full recruiting class at a new school is getting it right at the quarterback position. For Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators, getting a player who fits Mullen’s system — one that often features the field general making plays with both his arm and his legs — was going to be a top priority.

In securing a Saturday commitment from dual-threat QB Jalon Jones, the Gators may well have that position taken care of for the 2019 recruiting cycle.

Jones, currently on a visit to Florida, made his commitment via a tweet.

That was followed in very short order by a tweet from Mullen.

The two-minute lag time there may have something to do with how this commitment — which came after Jones watched the Gators scrimmage on Saturday afternoon — came about. It might also have to do with how excited Mullen might well be to once again take a commitment from the three-star passer from Baltimore, who pledged to Mississippi State while Mullen was leading the Bulldogs.

A glance at some of his highlights should help explain why that excitement might exist: Jones has quick feet, a strong arm, and the ability to use both in tandem for his St. Frances Academy team, even if his accuracy leaves something to be desired, and thus bears more than a few similarities to the slew of dual-threat throwers that Mullen has helped refine over the years.

In addition to that, Jones comes off quite well in interviews — even while saying “I like to compare myself to Lamar Jackson” — and seems to have the personality to be a vocal leader at QB, something Mullen has repeatedly expressed a preference for in his few months in Gainesville.

And while Florida’s primary competition for Jones of late has been Virginia, his offer list does include Alabama and Ohio State.

Jones is Florida’s seventh commitment for the 2019 recruiting class, and the Gators’ sixth three-star pledge.