Credit: Scout.com

4-Star OT Matt Jones Commits to Ohio State Buckeyes

Scott Polacek

The Ohio State Buckeyes added a potentially dominant physical presence to their future offensive line Saturday when offensive tackle prospect Matt Jones joined their 2018 recruiting class.

According to Tim Moody of Scout, Jones "had long been thought to be an Ohio State lean" and committed Saturday during a visit to the school.

Jones, who is 6'4" and 285 pounds, is a 4-star prospect, per Scout, and the No. 145 overall player, No. 11 offensive tackle and No. 1 offensive tackle from the state of New York.

He attracted the attention of some of the best programs in the nation during his recruiting process, as Ohio State, Clemson, Penn State, Alabama, Florida, Michigan and Miami, among others, were all included on Scout's list of interested schools at one point.

Hudl captured some of the highlights underscoring how talented he can be up front:

Click to expand figure....

Brian Dohn of Scout provided a breakdown of Jones' game and pointed to his "strong initial punch and tremendous upper body strength" that helps him physically overpower defenders. Dohn also said he is versatile enough to play guard if needed and quick enough to pull when the scheme requires it.

Jones has the size and arm length to establish initial leverage and drive into the second level when opening up holes for the run and the athleticism and solid footwork to keep his quarterback upright in pass protection.

Jones' decision to bring that skill set to Ohio State is another example of the rich getting richer on the recruiting trail.

Buckeyes offensive linemen have been opening up holes for playmakers such as Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott since head coach Urban Meyer took over before the 2012 campaign. Jones has the chance to become the next in a long line of talent to do that, and he has the potential to earn a starting spot down the road.

If he does that, he will have plenty of opportunities to play in front of NFL scouts, and his talent will help him land on their radars.

   

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