Mikel Jones

Mikel Anthony Jones (born October 11, 2000) is an American football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Syracuse.

Mikel Jones
Los Angeles Chargers
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (2000-10-11) October 11, 2000
Miami, Florida
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:224 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
College:Syracuse (2019–2022)
Undrafted:2023
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

High school career

Jones was born on October 11, 2000, in Miami, Florida and attended Champagnat Catholic Schooland 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

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

Jones signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023.[17]

References
  1. Vasudevan, Anish (3 October 2021). "After moving around his entire career, Mikel Jones has settled at SU". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  2. Bailey, Stephen (19 December 2018). "Syracuse football recruiting: 4-star Florida LB Mikel Jones signs". Syracuse Post-Standard. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  3. Bailey, Stephen (14 January 2019). "4-star LBs Jones, Kpogba among SU enrollees". syracuse.com. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  4. Mink, Nate (22 November 2018). "SU football recruiting: 4-star LB Mikel Jones commits". syracuse.com open access. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  5. Hillman, Adam (22 September 2020). "Mikel Jones was a backup in 2019. Now, he's a catalyst for SU's defense". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  6. Leiker, Emily (21 July 2022). "Jones says others tried to recruit him away from SU football. Why did he stay?". syracuse.com (subscription required). Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  7. Vasudevan, Anish (12 January 2022). "Inside Mikel Jones' decision to return for final season in 2022". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 25 November 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 24 November 2022.
  9. Carlson, Chris (16 December 2021). "Let's run it back: SU star Mikel Jones, Caleb Okechukwu will both return next year". syracuse.com. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  10. Leiker, Emily (15 July 2022). "Jones, Bergeron and Szmyt named to Shrine Bowl 1000 preseason list". syracuse.com. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  11. Leiker, Emily (25 July 2022). "SU football's Mikel Jones named to prominent linebacker award watch list". Syracuse Post-Standard. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  12. Leiker, Emily (1 August 2022). "Mikel Jones named to preseason watch list for Bednarik Award". syracuse.com. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  13. Leiker, Emily (1 November 2022). "Syracuse captain Mikel Jones named as one of 15 semifinalists for Butkus Award". syracuse.com. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  14. Jones, Mikel (21 October 2022). "Syracuse, Why Not Us???". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  15. Mink, Nate (21 October 2022). "Jones in his own words: Summer workout in the Dome showed why this team could be special". syracuse.com. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  16. Smith, Connor (29 December 2022). "Syracuse linebacker Mikel Jones declares for NFL draft". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  17. "Los Angeles Chargers Agree to Terms with Undrafted Free Agents". Chargers.com. April 29, 2023.
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