Carter welcome to you and your family to Cal Football. Wishing you nothing but the best of success on and off the field. Go Bears!
Photo: X / Carter Jones
Bears Add Highly-Touted 2025 MLB Commit Carter Jones
By Jim McGill
December 10, 2023
The Bears added a big pickup in 6-1/225 2025 Crean Lutheran (Irvine, CA) High School middle linebacker Carter Jones. The talented MLB racked up 152 tackles and 9 TFLs in his junior season and holds 26 offers, including Michigan, Georgia, Florida State, Tennessee, Oklahoma and more.
"For me, it was really the staff and how they involved themselves in my recruitment during the process," Jones said of his commitment process. "All the coaches were texting me. Benji (Palu) Marshall (Cherrington) and Coach AT (Aristotle Thompson) were the main ones. Every week they asked me how I was doing ask me what the plan is, how to get better and stuff like that.
“I just went up there again it kind of felt like the right fit, especially with Coach Sirmon and his background and he's the right guy to be developed under. Just like the consistency of being able to have linebackers that produce every single year and get better every single year was a big part of it. For me just seeing seeing that and wanting to be a part of getting better and having that in my development. Everything kind of fit perfectly and just a good decision for me."
Jones visited Cal for the USC game and the program made a big impression on the talented MLB, despite the heartbreaking 50-49 defeat.
“I really enjoyed my visit to Cal this past weekend,” Jones said after the trip. “It was great to see the atmosphere of a big game. The Cal fans and the game day experience were awesome. I thought the team played great. They really played with energy and intensity. I loved how aggressive the coaching staff was with their calls. They went out to win the game.
“I love the coaching staff. Starting with Coach Wilcox and Coach Sirmon, and Coach AT (RB coach Aristotle Thompson) is my man! I have a great relationship with all of them. It was also a special weekend as my brother (frosh QB Caden Jones) got a Cal offer to play QB for the Bears in 2027. It would be an amazing experience if we could play together in college.”
https://www.recruit.co/video/3/11852404/65146af642103808f433a4d8
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Discussion from...
Bearly Clad
4:43p, 12/10/23
I'm not one to cite recruiting rankings as gospel but I always wonder how a guy with an offer list like this can be rated low 3*. You'd think that would tip off the recruiting services that there's a disconnect and they should maybe re-evaluate.
But, more importantly, welcome to the Cal Family Mr. Jones! We're happy to have you, Go Bears!
Love the way this guy plays, he willingly takes on blockers and has a penchant for putting them on their asses. He can sift through traffic and get off blocks well too. Can't wait to see how he develops too, I expect he'll be a thumper at the next level
But, more importantly, welcome to the Cal Family Mr. Jones! We're happy to have you, Go Bears!
Love the way this guy plays, he willingly takes on blockers and has a penchant for putting them on their asses. He can sift through traffic and get off blocks well too. Can't wait to see how he develops too, I expect he'll be a thumper at the next level
touchdownbears43
5:40p, 12/10/23
recruiting services know Jack about evaluating talent. Year after year they miss on evaluating talent. The only value they provide are the written articles about what's going on in the program and the kid's opinions of the official visits. Labeling 5* such as Emmett Smith's kid and Bronny James makes my point.
Dudes that have this type of an offer list are clearly better than a three star athlete. Will they pan out in college? Nobody knows but from a recruiting service perspective clearly they're wrong.
Dudes that have this type of an offer list are clearly better than a three star athlete. Will they pan out in college? Nobody knows but from a recruiting service perspective clearly they're wrong.
heartofthebear
6:20p, 12/10/23
In reply to Bearly Clad
I believe it's because of the limited sample size. He has not played his senior year yet. I assume he will be elevated next season if he continues on his trajectory, which will likely end as a 4 star.Bearly Clad said:
I'm not one to cite recruiting rankings as gospel but I always wonder how a guy with an offer list like this can be rated low 3*. You'd think that would tip off the recruiting services that there's a disconnect and they should maybe re-evaluate.
But, more importantly, welcome to the Cal Family Mr. Jones! We're happy to have you, Go Bears!
Love the way this guy plays, he willingly takes on blockers and has a penchant for putting them on their asses. He can sift through traffic and get off blocks well too. Can't wait to see how he develops too, I expect he'll be a thumper at the next level
calumnus
9:22p, 12/10/23
In reply to heartofthebear
I don't know, look at the offer list for our 3 star WR Martin, includes Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon….
I think the recruiting services tend to give 4 and 5 stars to guys that "look" like NFL players and will ding highly productive players for failing their eyeball test. Especially if they are "undersized" or do not have elite 40 times. Carter is listed at 6' 210 (in 247) and does not look like he has been juicing. So they rate him lower than his actual football playing would warrant. Actual football coaches have the same biases but are better able to see when guys have great technique and are ballers. They know they can get a motivated guy in the weight room and add bulk. It is harder to get a guy to have a competitive fire who doesn't already have one. That is why they are highly paid football coaches and not running an internet recruit rating service.
heartofthebear said:I believe it's because of the limited sample size. He has not played his senior year yet. I assume he will be elevated next season if he continues on his trajectory, which will likely end as a 4 star.Bearly Clad said:
I'm not one to cite recruiting rankings as gospel but I always wonder how a guy with an offer list like this can be rated low 3*. You'd think that would tip off the recruiting services that there's a disconnect and they should maybe re-evaluate.
But, more importantly, welcome to the Cal Family Mr. Jones! We're happy to have you, Go Bears!
Love the way this guy plays, he willingly takes on blockers and has a penchant for putting them on their asses. He can sift through traffic and get off blocks well too. Can't wait to see how he develops too, I expect he'll be a thumper at the next level
I don't know, look at the offer list for our 3 star WR Martin, includes Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon….
I think the recruiting services tend to give 4 and 5 stars to guys that "look" like NFL players and will ding highly productive players for failing their eyeball test. Especially if they are "undersized" or do not have elite 40 times. Carter is listed at 6' 210 (in 247) and does not look like he has been juicing. So they rate him lower than his actual football playing would warrant. Actual football coaches have the same biases but are better able to see when guys have great technique and are ballers. They know they can get a motivated guy in the weight room and add bulk. It is harder to get a guy to have a competitive fire who doesn't already have one. That is why they are highly paid football coaches and not running an internet recruit rating service.
Nofado
9:32p, 12/10/23
Little brother, who is a freshman is already 6 foot one as a quarterback with a lot of time to grow this one could have a lot of potential
91Cal
10:05p, 12/10/23
Welcome to the Cal Family, Carter & family!
Looking forward to seeing you further the Golden Bear ILB legacy, joining Riverboat Ron, Ortega, Hendrickson, Hardy, Willard, Mikey Mo, Follet, Weaver, Sirmon and Uluave! *those are the players from my years/decades!
Go Bears!
Looking forward to seeing you further the Golden Bear ILB legacy, joining Riverboat Ron, Ortega, Hendrickson, Hardy, Willard, Mikey Mo, Follet, Weaver, Sirmon and Uluave! *those are the players from my years/decades!
Go Bears!
Sebastabear
12:26a, 12/11/23
Huge, huge pickup for the program. Offer list speaks for itself. He's going to be a great one for us. Welcome!
Rushinbear
6:01a, 12/11/23
In reply to Nofado
raises a question I hadn't considered: when does a great arm start to manifest?Nofado said:
Little brother, who is a freshman is already 6 foot one as a quarterback with a lot of time to grow this one could have a lot of potential
UrsineMaximus
12:37p, 12/11/23
In reply to touchdownbears43
and they have a bro that plays QB, loltouchdownbears43 said:
recruiting services know Jack about evaluating talent. Year after year they miss on evaluating talent. The only value they provide are the written articles about what's going on in the program and the kid's opinions of the official visits. Labeling 5* such as Emmett Smith's kid and Bronny James makes my point.
Dudes that have this type of an offer list are clearly better than a three star athlete. Will they pan out in college? Nobody knows but from a recruiting service perspective clearly they're wrong.