Relationship With OSU Staff Could be Key in Recruitment of Four-Star Guard

Four-star Class of 2019 combo guard Tyrell Jones took to Twitter on Thursday to announce his final 12 schools. Among them: A trio of Big 12 schools in OSU, Kansas State and Iowa State.

At this time I wanna thank all the colleges that recruited me but at this time here are the schools that have been recruiting me the hardest and I will decide from. #DECISIONS pic.twitter.com/WsRKA895OX

— Tyrell Jones (@TurboRell) September 27, 2018

Jones currently holds over 30 offers and recently took official visits to Auburn and Ole Miss with an official visit to Georgia scheduled for this upcoming weekend. Jones really exploded on the scene during the summer AAU circuit, which is when he picked up a majority of these offers including his offer from Oklahoma State.

Currently, all signs are pointing to Auburn with all eight crystal ball predictions on 247Sports in favor of the Tigers along with both of the commitment forecast picks on Rivals. In addition, he told 247Sports his recent visit to Auburn was “impressive“.

However, even with all of the momentum in favor of Auburn, I think Jones is definitely considering the Cowboys as a legitimate option. He told Pistols Firing that he has a “close relationship” with assistant coach David Kontaxis, which could play a big factor. Jones also had the following to say to PFB when asked about why he put OSU in his final 12.

“David (Kontaxis) is the reason, he’s been recruiting me since day one.”

Kontaxis, a former James Madison assistant, was hired last season as one of the final pieces to round out Mike Boynton’s staff. Prior to his time at James Madison, Kontaxis spent seven years coaching on the AAU circuit in the North Carolina, Virginia and Washington D.C. areas. His familiarity with the AAU circuit makes him a valuable recruiting asset for Boynton and you can see it’s playing a major role in Jones’ recruitment.

Jones told Pistols Firing that he hasn’t set a date for his final decision, stating “it’s still up in the air as of now.” With the Cowboys not currently having any open roster spots, the Cowboys recruitment and signing of Jones may depend on how the Michael Weathers situation plays out. Additionally, OSU has shown heavy interest in 2019 wing Marcus Watson, who has the Pokes in his final four.

Jones is definitely someone to keep an eye on as Boynton and staff wrap up the 2019 recruitment cycle.