Christian Jones emerging as NFL prospect in 6th season
AUSTIN, Texas (BVM) — It has been quite the start for the 4-0 Texas Longhorns, highlighted by a big Week 2 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Quinn Ewers received most of the shine for that game, but if you watch the game back closely, you will notice that Ewers was not really bothered by Alabama’s talented front seven.
The Longhorns did not allow a single sack in the game.
But on the right side specifically, Christian Jones really took care of business, not even letting up a pressure all game long.
Jones has emerged this season as one of the best tackles in the Big 12 and maybe in the entire country. He is just now landing on the radar of national media, but he has been a fixture on the Longhorns’ offensive line for quite a while.
The right tackle is a sixth-year senior with 39 starts under his belt.
Jones did not start playing high school football at Cypress Woods until his junior year, which likely resulted in his low ranking. He was the No. 77 player in the state of Texas according to 247 Sports and the No. 724 player in the country.
The Longhorns were only one of six Power 5 programs to offer Jones and they were rewarded with their faith as he has been a starter for them since his freshman redshirt season.
Jones was named as an honorable mention for the All-Big 12 team in 2022 and now he looks like a lock for conference honors through four games in 2023.
There was some thought that Jones may go ahead and enter the NFL draft after last season, but he opted to return to school after the team finished with an 8-5 record.
Four games into this season, it is looking like Jones made the right decision.
Dane Brugler, who covers the NFL draft for The Athletic, listed Jones as a “riser” in the month of September for the 2024 class.
The 6-foot-6, 321-pound tackle has played both tackle spots and has plenty of experience in college football which will both help Jones when the draft comes around in April.
Texas however still has eight regular season games remaining leaving him plenty of time to bolster his stock and maybe even take home some hardware at the end of the year.
