Deon Jones to Maryland: Terrapins Land 4-Star CB Prospect

Maryland strengthened its secondary in a big way for the next few years on Wednesday after securing the commitment of 4-star recruit Deon Jones, per Rivals' Adam Friedman. 

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Jones is the No. 13 cornerback and No. 105 overall recruit in the 2017 class. He's also the third-best player from the state of Maryland.

Counting the number of top schools that didn't offer Jones a scholarship is nearly as easy as keeping track of those that did. He had heavy interest from Clemson, Auburn, Ohio State, Florida State, Florida, Michigan State and UCLA, among others, per 247Sports.

Listed as 6'1" by 247Sports, Jones has ideal height for his position. Being under 6'0" doesn't exclude a player from playing cornerback, but it can make his job a little bit harder, especially when he's covering taller receivers.

Jones' weight does present a bit of an issue. His 180 pounds stretched over his 6'1" frame could be detrimental when he looks to get physical with an opposing wide receiver. It's a problem he could easily remedy once he arrives at Maryland and the team puts him on a regular training regimen.

Strictly in terms of talent, Jones can be a potential all-conference or All-American cornerback at the next level.

He doesn't possess blinding speed but can quickly close on a wideout as a result of his short-yardage acceleration. For the most part, Jones excels in man coverage, smothering his opposite number.

Jones still has a lot of room to grow. Like most high school juniors—even those of the blue-chip variety—his technique leaves a little to be desired at times. He can also sometimes float out of position to the extent he takes himself out of the play completely.

There's no question, though, that Jones should become a tremendous cover corner in college. He has the physical tools you can't coach—height and reach—which make his flaws all the more manageable. A coaching staff can iron out most of the wrinkles in Jones' game.

Ideally, Jones will be allowed some time to grow upon joining the team. He could potentially be an auxiliary cornerback in nickel packages, but the Terrapins might want to let their home-state product learn as he goes with early playing time as a means of expediting his development.

Star rankings courtesy of 247Sports.