Football:Green Run's Jones commits to Virginia Tech

Jones, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive lineman, picked the Hokies after also receiving offers from Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Maryland and West Virginia, among many others.

Jones moved back to Virginia Beach from Tennessee before his senior season and was part of the Stallions’ resurrection under first-year head coach Shawn Wilson. Jones played at defensive end and defensive tackle and was a first-team All-Tidewater selection.

“Once we started putting some tape together on him, it came out pretty good,” Wilson said. “Once one got out, the word got out, and he became a highly recruited student-athlete.”

Jones joins some other prominent players from South Hampton Roads who already have committed to Virginia Tech, including Landstown safety Xavier Boyce, Salem linebacker Lyndell Gibson, First Colonial running back Tony Gregory, Maury tackle Vinston Painter and Smithfield wide receiver/running back Dyrell Roberts.

Wilson said Jones already has qualified academically to play in college.

“As a defensive lineman, Joe is very, very quick off the ball and extremely explosive,” Wilson said. “You can see as soon as the ball was hiked he was in the backfield.”