Jarron Jones De-Commits from Penn State, 4 Schools Still in the Running

Rochester, New York 4-star defensive tackle and No. 67 overall prospect according to Rivals.com, Jarron Jones withdrew his verbal commitment to the Penn State Nittany Lions on Tuesday night.

"I talked to the coaches, they were upset about it but they won't stop recruiting me," Jones told Channel 13 WHAM. "We talked and everybody's on the same page though."

Jones originally gave a soft verbal commitment to Penn State back on April 12, but recent visits to Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina have caused him to reconsider his future.

"Notre Dame is a smaller school and that's the kind of place I need to be," Jones said. "Aquinas is a smaller school and I've been doing a lot better there."

Jones also told WHAM the Nittany Lions are still in the running for his services, but felt the need to open his recruitment back up.

"It was really a better way for me to explore my options," Jones said. "All four schools have an equal chance at me and we'll see where we go from there."

Jones' head coach at Aquinas Institute, Chris Battaglia, thinks one team in particular though has a tough shot at landing the U.S. Army All-American defensive tackle.

"He's always loved Virginia Tech, but Virginia Tech is behind the eight ball a bit since they waited so long to recruit him," Battaglia told Rivals.com. "But they are on the list because they are a school he loved as a kid."

Jones plans to take an official visit to Virginia Tech this fall to get a feel for the atmosphere on game-day in Blacksburg, Virginia. Penn State will receive an official visit from Jones in early August.

Jones told WHAM he expects to have a decision on his future by the time his senior season begins this fall, but this does not coincide with the timing of his official visits. Look for him to make a decision closer to the end of his final season at Aquinas.

Check out my blog, Dirlam’s Dirty Dugout Sports Blog, which features this story along with other articles and video reports on the major sports. You can also follow my blog on Twitter, @DirtyDugoutBlog, which will provide you with the latest updates about what will be posted on the blog!