KEANDRE JONES STAYING POSITIVE, BRINGING ENERGY TO OHIO STATE DESPITE LACK OF PLAYING TIME AT LINEBACKER
Keandre Jones hasn’t had many opportunities to make plays for Ohio State this season, at least not at his primary position of linebacker.
When he finally got an opportunity to make a big play for the Buckeyes in Saturday’s 36-31 win against Nebraska, however, he took advantage.
Jones hasn’t been part of Ohio State’s regular linebacker rotation this season, seeing just
51 snaps on defense all year – and just one in the Buckeyes’ last five games. He has been a regular contributor on special teams, though, lining up on the kickoff, kickoff return and punt block units.
It was on the latter of those units that Jones finally got his chance to make a game-changing play on Saturday. On Nebraska’s first punt of the game, the Cornhuskers failed to block Jones, and he put his speed on display as he made a beeline to the punter, knocking the ball off his foot and through the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety and two points for the Buckeyes.
As fellow Ohio State linebacker Pete Werner said on Wednesday, Jones wasn’t actually the player who was supposed to be in position to block that punt. But when he was left in position to block that punt by the opposing offensive line, he executed his job to perfection.
“Coach preaches that everybody’s got to run to that block spot, and somebody’s going to block the punt. And one of the guys blocked the guy that was supposed to, and he was the guy that didn’t get blocked and he was right there,” Werner said. “He did the right thing and didn’t take any false steps, and made a great play.”
Entire article:
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...te-despite-lack-of-playing-time-at-linebacker
Keandre Jones Bringing Energy, Playmaking To Buckeyes
Things weren’t going particularly well for the Ohio State football team.
They had given up a 12-play touchdown drive on Nebraska’s opening possession. Then they wasted a total gift of a botched kickoff by the Huskers and went 4-and-out the first time they had the ball.
The crowd was dead, and the team was down.
After the OSU defense stopped the Huskers on the ensuing drive, the Buckeyes needed someone to make a play.
As Nebraska snapped it to punt the ball away, Keandre Jones raced untouched through the line. The protection wall in front of the punter was occupied with other rushers, and Jones raced past them. He was in so quickly, he practically took the ball off the punter’s foot.
It ricocheted out the side of the end zone for a safety. Suddenly the crowd was alive and the Buckeyes were on the scoreboard.
So what was Jones thinking as he raced untouched toward the Nebraska punter?
“You’d better make that play,” he said with a laugh Wednesday night.
The impact of that punt went well beyond the two points it netted the Buckeyes. It could earn Jones some more opportunities on defense as well.
“That was obviously a big play, and that’s how you start earning the right to get more playing time,” said OSU head coach Urban Meyer.
Jones played extensively at linebacker against Tulane, and got snaps against Oregon State and Rutgers as well. But he hasn’t cracked the lineup for more than a cameo since then.
You might think that would be frustrating for a player like Jones, who came in with a 4-star pedigree as a recruit.
“Not at all. Not when you’ve got guys like Pete Werner, Malik Harrison, and Tuf Borland, and my whole linebacker group. They’re keeping me in good spirits, working hard in practice, and the practice is going to translate to the game. I’m being patient and my time is going to come soon,” Jones said.
He said that in addition to his work on special teams, he’s also trying to make an impact in other ways as well.
“Staying positive, bringing a smile to everyone that I meet, keeping the young guys up, encouraging them to go hard, play hard, and just to be a leader for this team,” he said.
Entire article:
https://theozone.net/2018/11/keandre-jones-ohio-state-buckeyes/
Dueling Keandre Jones articles.....11W vs. O-Zone.
