The path from Olney, Maryland to Columbus, Ohio wasn't really one that Keandre Jones, who was committed to his home-state Terrapins from December of 2014 to December 2015, planned on taking.
"Ohio State came into the picture in my sophomore year, I had briefly spoken to (Luke) Fickell, Coach LJ (Larry Johnson) and (Urban) Meyer," Jones said. "When I committed so early in my junior year, they kind of stepped back. When the coaching change happened at Maryland during my senior campaign I decided to reopen my recruitment and Ohio State never left my side."
It wasn't just recruiting the linebacker, the country's eighth-best at his position for 2016, it was a team effort in recruiting the person who mattered the most to the 6-foot-3 and now 208-pounder from Good Counsel High School.
"They did a great job in staying in contact with my mother. Which I based my decision off in the end," he said when asked about the way Ohio State focused on his family. "They were making sure she was familiar and comfortable with the staff just as much as I was, because of course I'm the one playing for the next three, four years."
‘I would have went regardless’– Keandre Jones on whether or not he'd have gone to Ohio State without Dwayne Haskins Jr.
Jones made his official visit to Ohio State the weekend of Jan. 16, a trip that he decided to make after a Thursday night in-home visit by Luke Fickell the night before. He and his mother left for Columbus and before he had arrived back in Maryland on Sunday, he knew things had changed. The conception that it was quarterback Dwayne Haskins, his good friend who had visited a month before, turning Jones towards the Scarlet and Gray wasn't entirely accurate, though knowing he'd have a friend in Columbus didn't hurt.
"I would have went regardless," Jones said of the Buckeyes. "In my opinion, it doesn't get any better than Ohio State. It really hit me when I came up to visit. Me and my mother sat in Coach Meyer's office and I asked her ‘Mom, what do you think?’ She said ‘Keandre I love it, I can definitely see you playing here.’ When she said that I just needed time to really consider and make the best decision for me and not based off others' opinions. Right before leaving campus I knew. We drove back the 5-6 hours home and talked about it, just me and my mom."
That night the news of Jones' flip leaked to the media and the next day, he and Haskins were both officially Ohio State commitments. For the Under-Armour All-American, it was a decision that was heavily impacted by the steady guidance of longtime Buckeye Luke Fickell, and not just by the allure of playing for a school with the prestige of Ohio State.
"If I just went to Ohio State because of its name, I would not be doing myself justice," Jones said, trying to consider the major differences between the Buckeyes and the Terrapins. "I honestly believed in (Luke) Fickell and the bond with his linebackers. Plus, the Ohio State staff is insane when it comes to developing their players."
The development started on signing day. Jones has been working hard to get bigger–as noted he's up to almost 210-pounds–but there's no specific plan for what size Mick Marotti and his strength staff would like him to be by the time he arrives in June.
"My build is good right now, if I can add on a few more pounds thats a bonus," the Rivals.com five-star said. "They know once I arrive on campus I'll be able to stay consistent with maintaining whatever weight they want me at. I'm just trying to do the same thing every kid is doing: grinding. (I'm) getting better and better with this strength and conditioning workout book Ohio State sent right after signing day."
For a player whose first visit with the Buckeyes was just over two weeks before signing day, the bigger adjustment for Jones may be socially. It's not always easy to fit into a group of guys that you've not spent much time with him. That's where Haskins and players he met on the camp/recruiting circuit come into play.
"It's hard to get to know guys when you're not around them," Jones said when asked if he felt that committing so late will make it harder to develop rapport with his future teammates. "I hope I can room with my boy Dwayne, but I've tried to stay in contact with Austin Mack, Jonathon Cooper and Jerome Baker."
The chance to show up and show out on the big stage of the Big Ten in a place like Ohio Stadium may not have been the plan specifically, but there was never a doubt in Jones' mind he'd make a difference if he put in the work.
"I knew with hard work and staying consistent, that I was putting myself in a good position for my future," he said. "I always considered that I'd play with the best of the best. That is Ohio State."
