Last Updated: May 19. 2011 2:17AM
Sam Webb
In the fast-paced world of college recruiting it's not uncommon for prospects to get caught up in the excitement of the process. Big-time scholarship offers begin rolling in, and in the midst of all that jubilance, hasty decisions are sometimes made.
That's what happened early on in the recruitment of Rochester (NY) Aquinas Institute defensive tackle Jarron Jones. The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder was overwhelmed when perennial Big Ten power Penn State put on its full-court recruiting press. A memorable visit last winter combined with a strong connection with the Nittany Lions staff caused him to jump at the chance to verbally commit. His family told him he should have looked harder before he leaped.
"To be honest with you, Jarron kind of made that decision without discussing it with me and his father," said Jones' mother, Lakiescha Titus-Jones. "Like we tried to tell him, it is OK to feel the way you felt about Penn State, but what we tried to make him do is not to commit and (instead) just list his top five, six, or seven. He just wanted to let Penn State know it was No. 1.
"There is nothing to not like about Penn State, but I want him to make an educated decision. He hasn't seen places like Michigan. He hasn't seen places like Notre Dame. He hasn't seen Louisville, North Carolina, or really even Syracuse."
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