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Mikel Jones
Personal information
Born: (2000-10-11) October 11, 2000 (age 24)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:226 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
College:Syracuse (2019–2022)
Position:Linebacker
Undrafted:2023
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Mikel Anthony Jones (born October 11, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange.

High school career

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Jones was born on October 11, 2000, in Miami, Florida, and attended Champagnat Catholic School and Mater Academy in (Hialeah Gardens, Florida.[1] In August 2017, Jones transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his senior year of high school, where he helped lead the IMG Academy Ascenders to a 7-1 record in 2018 and a top-5 national ranking.[1] He was rated a consensus four-star prospect,[2][3] one of the top 25 outside linebackers in the Class of 2019, and was recruited by Ole Miss, Kentucky, Louisville, Purdue, LSU, and Syracuse, where he ultimately enrolled.[4]

College career

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As a true freshman at Syracuse in 2019, Jones played in 12 games with four starts and had 38 tackles.[5] In 2020, he started 11 games and recorded 69 tackles along with four interceptions, the most in the ACC and fifth nationally.

In 2021, Jones was a first-team All-ACC selection. He led the ACC with 60 solo tackles and had 110 total tackles. He also recorded four sacks. Syracuse head coach Dino Babers called him the "quarterback" of the defense for the Orange, as Jones led the team and the conference in solo, assisted and total tackles.[1] After the strong showing in junior season, he was recruited by other programs and explored NFL Draft options,[6][7] but decided against the jump and returned for another year.[8][9]

In the 2022 season, Jones was named one of the team captains. He was named to several pre-season All-ACC and All-America teams,[10] as well as watch lists for the Butkus Award, Nagurski Trophy, and Bednarik Award.[11][12] He was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Butkus Award given to the top linebackers.[13] After Syracuse's surprising 6–0 start, Jones penned an article in the Players' Tribune titled "Syracuse, Why Not Us???".[14][15]

In December 2022, Jones declared for the 2023 NFL draft, forgoing his final year of eligibility.[16]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 11+5⁄8 in
(1.82 m) 		229 lb
(104 kg) 		32+1⁄2 in
(0.83 m) 		10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)		 4.57 s 7.21 s 30.0 in
(0.76 m)		 9 ft 5 in
(2.87 m)		 18 reps
All values from Pro Day[17]

Los Angeles Chargers

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Jones signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023.[18] He was waived on August 29, 2023.[19]

Dallas Cowboys

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On October 3, 2023, Jones was signed to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.[20] He was released on October 23.[21]

DC Defenders

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On May 28, 2024, Jones signed with the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL).[22] His contract was terminated on August 20, 2024, to sign with an NFL team.[23]

Tennessee Titans

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Jones signed with the Tennessee Titans on August 20, 2024 and was waived six days later.[24][25]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Vasudevan, Anish (October 3, 2021). "After moving around his entire career, Mikel Jones has settled at SU". The Daily Orange. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  2. ^ Bailey, Stephen (December 19, 2018). "Syracuse football recruiting: 4-star Florida LB Mikel Jones signs". Syracuse Post-Standard. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  3. ^ Bailey, Stephen (January 14, 2019). "4-star LBs Jones, Kpogba among SU enrollees". syracuse.com. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  4. ^ Mink, Nate (November 22, 2018). "SU football recruiting: 4-star LB Mikel Jones commits". syracuse.com Open access icon. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  5. ^ Hillman, Adam (September 22, 2020). "Mikel Jones was a backup in 2019. Now, he's a catalyst for SU's defense". The Daily Orange. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  6. ^ Leiker, Emily (July 21, 2022). "Jones says others tried to recruit him away from SU football. Why did he stay?". syracuse.com (subscription required). Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  7. ^ Vasudevan, Anish (January 12, 2022). "Inside Mikel Jones' decision to return for final season in 2022". The Daily Orange. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  8. ^ Bailey, Stephen (March 16, 2022). "After putting NFL dream on hold, Mikel Jones wants to show Syracuse has 'best linebacker corps in nation'". CuseNation.com. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Carlson, Chris (December 16, 2021). "Let's run it back: SU star Mikel Jones, Caleb Okechukwu will both return next year". syracuse.com. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  10. ^ Leiker, Emily (July 15, 2022). "Jones, Bergeron and Szmyt named to Shrine Bowl 1000 preseason list". syracuse.com. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  11. ^ Leiker, Emily (July 25, 2022). "SU football's Mikel Jones named to prominent linebacker award watch list". Syracuse Post-Standard. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  12. ^ Leiker, Emily (August 1, 2022). "Mikel Jones named to preseason watch list for Bednarik Award". syracuse.com. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Leiker, Emily (November 1, 2022). "Syracuse captain Mikel Jones named as one of 15 semifinalists for Butkus Award". syracuse.com. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  14. ^ Jones, Mikel (October 21, 2022). "Syracuse, Why Not Us???". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  15. ^ Mink, Nate (October 21, 2022). "Jones in his own words: Summer workout in the Dome showed why this team could be special". syracuse.com. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Smith, Connor (December 29, 2022). "Syracuse linebacker Mikel Jones declares for NFL draft". The Daily Orange. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  17. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Mikel Jones College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  18. ^ "Los Angeles Chargers Agree to Terms with Undrafted Free Agents". Chargers.com. April 29, 2023.
  19. ^ "Los Angeles Chargers Reduce Roster to 53 Players". Chargers.com. August 29, 2023.
  20. ^ "Cowboys news: Dallas adds much needed depth at linebacker". Blogging the Boys. SB Nation. October 4, 2023.
  21. ^ Brock, Todd. "Cowboys add 4 to practice squad, including big tight end". Cowboys Wire. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  22. ^ "UFL Transactions". UFLBoard.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  23. ^ @UFL_PR (August 20, 2024). "The #UFL has announced the following transactions" (Tweet). Retrieved August 21, 2024 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ Wyatt, Jim (August 20, 2024). "Titans Add LB Mikel Jones, Place LB Garret Wallow on Injured Reserve". TennesseeTitans.com. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  25. ^ Wyatt, Jim. "Titans Waive Nine Players as Roster Cuts Begin Ahead of Tuesday's Deadline". tennesseetitans.com. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
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