Florida has landed its quarterback of the future.
Sheriron Jones (6-foot-2, 189 pounds, Moreno Valley, Calif., Rancho Verde High) verbally committed to Florida on Sunday following his attendance at a football camp in Gainesville. Jones is the No. 10 ranked quarterback in the 2015 class.
Despite meeting with coaches throughout the weekend while at camp, the quarterback said it wasn’t the coaching staff that convinced him to play his next four years at UF — it was the players he talked to that won him over.
“They basically were like, ‘If you want to be here, you’re going to be here and everyone’s going to love you here,’” Jones said. “It’s like that at every college, but I felt like those guys were being like big brothers to me, and I felt like it was family.”
Jones specified that fullback Hunter Joyer, defensive tackle Joey Ivie and tight end Tevin Westbrook were responsible for truly making him feel at home.
California is a long way from Florida — in fact, Gainesville is more than 2,000 miles from his hometown of Moreno Valley. But Jones said he was willing to commit wherever he felt most comfortable, however far from California that may have been.
“I felt like I was at home in Gainesville,” he said. “I was open to going anywhere, as long as I felt like it was family oriented. I didn’t pay any mind to going across the country.”
Jones added that offensive coordinator Kurt Roper easily convinced him that his skillset will fit in UF’s new system, and he liked the transparency that the coaching staff had with him while on campus.
“They were straight forward about what they were doing and who they were recruiting,” Jones said. “I felt like I could trust them because if they’re going to be honest with me about stuff like that, I don’t have to worry about looking over my shoulder with them recruiting someone else.”
While Jones credits Brett Favre as a quarterback he highly admired while growing up, he said he wants to make his own name for himself at the next level.
“I really want to be myself,” Jones said. “I don’t really want to compare myself to (Favre), but I feel like my game is getting to his level.”
Jones is expected to compete with Will Grier once he arrives in Gainesville. Grier, who will have a chance to learn under starting quarterback Jeff Driskel this upcoming season, will have a year of experience under his belt by the time Jones arrives.
Although Florida had its first losing season since 1979 in 2013, Jones said he didn’t allow that fact to become a factor in his decision.
“Things happen, schools go through that all the time,” he said. “Every school is going to have their down years. It didn’t really matter to me I’m trying to go to a place where I can trust the players and trust the coaches.”
Follow Morgan Moriarty on Twitter @Morgan_Moriarty
Offensive coordinator Kurt Roper addresses the media during his introductory press conference on Jan. 13. Four-star quarterback Sheriron Jones, who was recruited by Roper, committed to Florida on Sunday.
Sheriron Jones warms up prior to Saturday's football camp at Sanders Practice Fields. Jones, a four-star dual-threat quarterback from Moreno Valley, Calif., committed to UF on Sunday.
