USC brings aboard TCU’s Anthony Jones Jr. as running backs coach
Jones Jr., who has coached several running backs to NFL prominence at TCU and Memphis, was hired to fill the void left by the departing Kiel McDonald. Sonny Dykes and the Horned Frogs are losing a key member of their coaching staff, with their prized RB coach headed to coach the Trojans…
Luca Evans (OC Register) — LOS ANGELES — For the first time in the Lincoln Riley administration at USC, there’s a new offensive coach on staff.
USC has hired TCU’s Anthony Jones Jr. as its running backs coach, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed Monday. Jones Jr. fills the vacancy left after two-year RBs coach Kiel McDonald left USC for a position on Jim Harbaugh’s staff with the Chargers, and barring any unexpected moves, should finalize the Trojans’ staff heading into spring ball.
It’s an interesting hire, as Jones Jr. comes from a through-and-through Southern background with few ties to USC’s current offensive staff, earning his coaching stripes by first coaching at his alma mater of Westwood High in Memphis, Tennessee, and later Tennessee’s Cordova High. His star blossomed at Memphis, hired in 2018 as a running backs coach and subsequently coaching four future pros across four seasons: former Rams back Darrell Henderson Jr., Tony Pollard (currently with the Cowboys), Antonio Gibson (Commanders), and Kenneth Gainwell (Eagles). At TCU, Jones Jr. coached now-Saints back Kendre Miller to a career-best year in 2022, their ground game a key part of a run to the CFP national championship game.
Jones Jr.’s schemes have been fairly amorphous, coaching both 1-2 punch alignments and clear lead-back rotations. That’s a key point for USC which is importing Mississippi State senior transfer Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks as the veteran of the room — Marks, though, has never eclipsed 121 carries in a season, and his mother Tameka told the Southern California News Group that Marks was drawn in part to USC by the promise of a balanced usage in both the pass and run game. As such, sophomores Quinten Joyner and A’Marion Peterson will likely see expanded roles, perhaps in a time-share with Marks.
Jones Jr. also has an established recruiting presence in Texas and the South, another mark in his favor as USC has been particularly drawn to recruiting Texas backs under Riley.
ocregister.com
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Jones seems to have gotten the attention & support of Texas HS coaches which is so important in that State. Just hope they remember him now that he has left for USC after coaching a short time at TCU. There is no doubt as his resume says, he is a teacher developer which is in sinc with LR’s approach to recruiting & developing players. I think Jones is a touchdown for joining the USC coaching staff. The challenge now is playing in a defensive minded conference.
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Is Thursday Collier’s last game as a Trojan? ASU easily beat the Trojans 6 weeks ago. Meanwhile Juju is just starting to shine and the rest of the team is getting hot. #1 or at least a #2 seed for USC WBB.
More importantly, is it Enfield’s last game as a Trojan?
Here’s a divorce where nobody won.
Russell Wilson just now released by the Broncos (holders of pick #12) after going 11-19 in two years with Denver.
Pete Carroll fired and is now basically out of the game, yet still hoping to latch on with another team as its HC.
In happier days together
MarShawn Lloyd gets after it in the NFL combine forty! 4.46
Will former Trojan RB coach Kiel McDonald, now with the Chargers, try to keep Lloyd in L.A.?
Lloyd is generally viewed as a 4-5th-round choice (No. 102 – 178).
The Chargers have eight picks in the 2024 NFL Draft:
No. 5 Overall
No. 37 Overall
No. 69 Overall
No. 106 Overall
No. 139 Overall
No. 183 Overall
No. 223 Overall
No. 256 Overall