Edge Rusher is a crucial position in the Dan Lanning defense. It takes a special player with freak athletic ability and a deep inner hunger to be great. He has to be smart and disruptive, a master technician, a beast in the weight room and a Tasmanian Devil on third down.
Great Edge Rushers can completely destroy the rhythm of an offense. They're versatile. They're a matchup nightmare. They bring a crowd to their feet. A great Edge Rusher becomes the soul of Autzen Stadium, a gladiator of supreme effort and will.
The Oregon coaches looked at Jaxson Jones, studied his film and interviewed him to determine his goals and character, and within one weekend they knew he was an athlete they had to add in the 2024 recruiting class. After decommitting from the Washington Huskies a few days earlier, he committed to the Ducks on January 29th.
Jaxson Jones has to get bigger and stronger, but there's no doubt he has the bend, the desire and the mind to be a great Edge Rusher.
Jaxson Jones,4-star, 6-3, 215 Edge Rusher from Yuma, Arizona committed to the Ducks in January. Mobile and smart. 87 tackles last season, 17 sacks.https://t.co/IcYJoiHKCf
— Dale Bliss (@DSH_Newton) July 7, 2023
He's long and lean, from Yuma Catholic High School. As a sophomore he played varsity basketball, averaging 8.0 points and 8.2 rebounds a game, plus baseball all through his formative years. He runs a 4.55 40 and squats 415 pounds.
Let him tell you his story:
After he committed he told Max Torres of si.com, "I was looking for some coaches that really cared for me as a person, not just as a player. At Oregon they really showed me that. Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to be great. I love that. I got to be around some of the players, it was all just perfect I think."
Yuma lies in the Southwestern part of Arizona, an isolated town of Western legend just a few miles from the Mexican border. The Shamrocks represent a very good school with a proud tradition, state titles in 2013 and 2014, runners-up in 2018, 2020 and 2021, but it's 3A football in a sparsely-populated desert region. The adjustment to Division One college football and 320-pound offensive tackles is a challenge for any anyone, but it represents a massive leap for Jaxson.
To ready himself, he trains in the heat, in sand, uphill in that desert.
💥 JAXSON JONES💥 [ YOU WILL REMEMBER ME] @JaxsonJones80 @oregonfootball @duckscrootinpic.twitter.com/iKGBpIncVw
— Daniel Jones Jr. (@Danieljonesjr80) July 1, 2023
The air goes out of the ball for every athlete, eventually. For a fortunate and determined few it's after a long career in the NFL. For others, it's after a season or two of college, frustrated, unable to make the adjustment. It will be fascinating to see what Jaxson Jones makes of his gifts and the opportunity.
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