Wideout Victor Jones Jr. was the only recruit Nebraska signed from the state of Florida for the past cycle. He verbally committed to the Cornhuskers in April of 2021 and stayed true to his word throughout all the struggles of last season.
Husker head coach Scott Frost gave his signing day comments about Jones:
“Victor Jones is a receiver. Coach (Sean) Beckton did a great job with him. We have known Victor since my time in Florida. He is another kid with elite speed and potential at that position. Victor also does some really good things on special teams and the kick return and punt return game. He was one of our earliest commits, and we’re really grateful that he stuck with us and is going to come up and play for us. We are excited to get him into the program.”
Below is another in our series of “Getting to know you” features which we will be running on the members of Nebraska’s 2022 recruiting class.
Position: Wide receiver
Orlando (Fla.) Olympia
Current size: 6-foot-2, 190-pounds
Rankings: Jones is rated a 5.7 three-star by Rivals, as well as the No. 75 recruit in the state of Florida and the No. 74 wide receiver prospect in the country. He ranked among the receiving leaders in the Orlando area and was named an all-metro selection.
Statistics: Jones had 53 receptions for 847 yards (16 ypr) and seven receiving touchdowns, with a long of 85 yards. He had one carry for 10 yards. He also averaged 30.3 yards on six kickoff returns. Olympia finished 5-5 in their 2021 season and they did not make the state playoffs.
Other schools offering scholarships: Kentucky, Cincinnati, Arkansas, Maryland, Wake Forest, UCF, Louisville, West Virginia, Buffalo, Memphis, South Florida, Marshal, FIU, Troy, South Dakota and Middle Tennessee State.
PERSONAL PREFERENCES
What do you do in your spare time?
“I work out, play video games and watch movies. I play Madden 2K, Call of Duty.”
What food do you like the best?
“It’s lasagna. Any type of lasagna.”
What is your favorite television show?
“Oh man, I like anime. I watch My Hero Academia.”
Do you have a favorite movie?
“Probably that Denzel (Washington) movie where he is an agent. Yeah, The Equalizer!”
What type of music do you listen to and who is your favorite musical artist?
“My favorite artist is Drake.”
Who is your celebrity crush?
“Rihanna. She’s actually very bold as a person. She likes a lot of sports and things like that. I like that about her. And she looks good, that’s another thing.”
Who has provided great inspiration to you in your life?
“My dad. He grew up playing football and he didn’t get where he wanted to get because he didn’t make the right decisions and go where he was supposed to go. So, here I am on the right path.”
What person(s) from history or alive today would you most like to sit down and have dinner with?
“Kobe Bryant. I always just liked his work ethic, so I would just like to pick his brain about certain things and how he motivated everyone to get up in the morning and get working.”
Do you have a nickname?
“Just Junior and Vic, pretty much.”
What is something very few people know about you?
“That I draw in my spare time sometimes. I’m pretty artistic, actually. I draw anything that comes to mind. You know, cartoons, sketches of myself, etc. Actually, I didn’t take any art classes in high school. My dad can draw, so I think it rubbed off on me.”
If football wasn’t an option, what would your dream career be?
“I think I would go into the clothing business or be like designing stuff. Designing clothes because I like fashion.”
Do you have a major picked out yet?
“Yeah, I’m going to do business management with entrepreneurship as my minor.”
Have you met all the academic requirements to enroll at Nebraska?
“Yes sir.”
THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS
Who is your favorite football player of all-time?
“Of all-time? Adrian Peterson. Number one, because he played for my favorite team, which is the Vikings; and number two, because he was one of the first players I watched play football at a very, very high level in the NFL. He made me want to be dominant.”
Who is the best football player you’ve personally played against in a game?
“Probably someone who passed away like a year or a year and a half ago. His name was Dexter Rentz. He was from Ocoee high school and he was going to Louisville before he passed. It made headlines when he got shot. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was just very, very passionate. It was crazy how fast he was. He would tell our coach, ‘Don’t kick it to me because I will return it.’ And he would return it. He killed us my freshman and sophomore years.”
What has been the most memorable moment on the football field so far in your career?
“My first playoff game last year [2020] at home. That was our first playoff game in like five or six years. That was a pretty big moment, even though it was in the middle of COVID. There were still a lot of people out there supporting us.”
Which school are you most looking forward to playing against in college?
“Ohio State definitely! Because it’s Ohio State and everyone is watching. Everyone thinks Ohio State has the most NFL talent, so I would like to show them — no, we have the most NFL talent. And also Iowa, obviously, because that’s the rivalry.”
Do you have a pre-game ritual?
“I pray to the Lord to protect me, and I sprint like 20 or 30 yards, and basically, I’m in the game then.”
Did you play other sports growing up or in high school?
“I ran track, actually. Last year, I ran the 100 meters, the 200, and the 4X100. My best 100 time was 10.8, and my best 200 time was 21.7.”
What is the one thing you most need to work on to play at the next level?
“I think I have to work on just going up and getting the ball once I am covered. I think everything else, like my routes, are up to par. So, I need to work on going up and getting the ball in contested coverage.”
How often do you work out and what is your routine?
“Usually, I work out 3 to 4 times a week. And the fourth time isn’t a very hard workout. Most of the time, I’m working on my speed, footwork and my hands. All that receiver stuff, and adding to my speed.”
WHY NEBRASKA
What did you know about the Nebraska football program before they offered and started recruiting you?
“All I really knew was that they were good before and they’re not so good now. They could improve and they’re close. That’s all I really knew.”
Do you have any family ties to the Husker football program or the state of Nebraska?
“Actually, I don’t.”
How did you inform the Nebraska staff of your commitment?
“I informed (Scott) Frost himself. We had a video call and he thought I was playing around when I told him I committed, but I was serious.”
What were the major determining factors in your picking Nebraska and signing with the Huskers?
“The culture and the coaching. That was very impactful. I know that Frost believes in his players and he instills in them that he won’t quit on them. Even when they don’t look so hot and may have a bad day, he trusts in us and believes in us to get the job done. You know, the fans and the atmosphere at Nebraska is different than at any other place I have ever been. I’ve been to big schools before for games and it wasn’t the same.”
Did the Nebraska coaches do anything unique when they were recruiting you that other colleges didn’t?
“They just kept in contact with me every single day. As soon as recruiting opened, they texted me like 10 minutes later. They were always checking in, “How are you?” etc. And when the recruiting period would close they would tell me, ‘Call me if you want to talk about anything.'”
Which Nebraska coach do you feel especially close to?
“Probably Frost himself because we talk a lot. He started talking to me at the end of my sophomore year, and we talked all the way from then up to now. He knows me pretty well and I know him pretty well.”
What was the best feature of your official visit to Nebraska?
“I would say the food. They fed me a lot and it was good food. Like omelets, steak, ribs, wings. That’s the gist of it.”
Did Nebraska’s weather factor into your recruitment?
“Not at all. I mean, I know it’s going to be cold or whatever, but it’s about adaptation. You’ve got to do what you have to do.”
Did you make friends with any current players at Nebraska or incoming freshmen during the process?
“I talk to Ernest (Hausmann) a lot. I talk to Decoldest (Crawford) a lot since he committed. I talk to those two the most. I also talk to Emmett (Johnson) a little bit. We’re all pretty close and I feel like we’re going to get closer as more people start trickling in [to Lincoln].”
What did you think of Nebraska’s season?
“It was very underwhelming, from the talent they had. There were some plays that killed us and some calls that killed us by the refs. Overall, if you don’t just look at the score and look at how they played, they had a very good season.”
A LOOK AT THE RECRUITING PROCESS
What’s the funniest or craziest thing that happened to you during the recruiting process?
“The craziest thing I would say that happened is COVID. Right when my recruiting opened is when it started, so I feel my name did not reach as many schools because of that. But it reached the right school, so I am all good.”
What was your favorite moment during the recruiting process?
“Oh man, signing day! Being able to go where I want to go, and not having to worry about recruiting and all that stuff anymore. I will just be able to go to school now.”
What was the worst moment during the recruiting process?
“When I knew I couldn’t go to camps. I had like two offers then, so I didn’t know how it was going to work out.”
What is one thing you learned that you would share with a recruit going through the process now?
“You know, just be patient, keep your head down and keep working. The right school will find you.”
Which schools tried to get in the picture with you and wanted you to visit after you committed to Nebraska?
“Coastal Carolina was trying to get in with me, and so was Florida State. But otherwise, not many schools.”
Which school would you have chosen if you hadn’t decided in favor of Nebraska?
“I think the two schools that were tied behind Nebraska were Coastal Carolina and UCF.”
FUTURE AND GOALS
What position will you be playing at Nebraska?
“I will be playing wide receiver.”
Are you expecting to redshirt your first year at Nebraska?
“If things work out right, I want to play as soon as possible. But I will redshirt it that’s what I have to do.”
What number would you like to wear at Nebraska?
“Hopefully, I can get No. 1 because someone already has it. If not, No. 10.”
What are your goals for your first year in college?
“Just to make my name coming in during my freshman year. I want to get my name out there for the next three years so they will know who I am.”
What will you bring to Nebraska as far as a strong point?
“Speed, elusiveness and passion.”
What would you like to say to the Nebraska fans?
“I love them. I appreciate them. I appreciate all the love and support they have given me up to this point, as well as the love and support they will give me later in my career.”
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