I caught up with Warren Township’s highly recruited wide receiver Micah Jones. We talked adding another element to his already dangerous game, his future visits and does he have a favorite in his recruiting?
You can find Micah on Twitter @mej2018
Micah Jones
Warren Township
Gurnee, IL
Wt: 195 lbs
Class: 2018
Commitment status: Undecided
LPI: What are the most important things you have been doing to get ready for this upcoming season so you can improve?
MJ: I’ve been training at EFT sports performance a lot. I work with Landon Cox the Wide Receiver trainer. He has really improved my wide receiver skills over the last two years. I also go to DIPT (Deep Impact Performance Training) and work with Olin McGhee to improve my speed, flexibility and footwork. Olin is a great trainer and he has really helped me improve as an overall football athlete.
LPI: Where have you camped/showcased at this summer?
MJ: This summer I have camped at Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Michigan State. I also performed in front of coaches from Bowling Green and Central Michigan. I was also very lucky to have coaches from Notre Dame, Michigan State, Iowa and Northwestern come to my school workouts.
LPI: Which camps do you think you stood out the most at and why?
MJ: I would have to say Notre Dame and Michigan State went the best as I did very well at both against some very good talent. However, I wouldn’t have showed like I did at Notre Dame and Michigan State if I did not go to the Northwestern and Illinois camps first. I learned a lot at the Northwestern and Illinois camps that really prepared me for all the camps after it such as the Notre Dame and Michigan State camps.
LPI: Were you on any 7on7 teams this year? If so, how did it go for you?
MJ: I played 7on7 for EFT. We’re always the top team along with BOOM and HEROH. Myself and a lot of my EFT 7on7 teammates did not participate in nationals as we instead chose to attend camps to focus on our recruiting. We had some really good players on our team including I’Shawn Stewart, Charlie Jones, Kendall Smith, Cam Ruiz, Jalin Tolbert, Ivory Kelly-Martin, Xazavian Valladay and Felix King just to name a few. We played really well and were a great team all around. EFT’s focus for 7on7 is skill development.
7on7 was also really good for me to not only get ready for next season, but to play a new position. Last year, I played on the outside most of the time, but this year I also want to play on the inside to add another dimension to my game. 7on7 was a great opportunity for me to get those reps in and be prepared for it this season.
LPI: You are a very highly recruited prospect, and deservedly so, with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Northwestern to a name a few. What’s it like having all of those offers? Is there any added pressure on you going into this season to exceed expectations or do you just play your game and let the rest figure itself out?
MJ: It’s really a blessing to have all those offers. With that though there is a little bit of pressure to perform at a high level. There is always that pressure to talk to coaches, schools, the media and the community. A lot comes with it, but I’ve been blessed to be put in the position I am in. It’s a hard thing to grasp as first, but as I continue to get older and more mature it gets easier. Caleb Reams is a Warren graduate that plays football for Illinois and is a guy I keep in contact with a lot. He went through what I’m going through so we text often and he’s always helping me deal with the pressure. Landon Cox and Olin Mcghee have also been through this so they’re also there for me and give great advice.
LPI: Out of all the schools that have offered you, which schools have shown the most interest in you?
MJ: Northwestern, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan State so far. Since Northwestern is so close to me I’ve been there so many times that I can pretty much give people a tour of the campus at this point. I’ve also been to Illinois, Iowa and Michigan State a lot as well. Another school I’m planning on going to more since they’re only a few hours away is Notre Dame.
LPI: Where have you visited most recently and do you have any visits coming up?
MJ: I’ve been to a few tailgates recently at Iowa, Northwestern and Illinois. They all went really well. This upcoming season I’m going to visit Iowa for the Iowa vs Iowa State game on September 10th. I also really want to get to East Lansing for the Michigan State vs Ohio State game. I’m also going to get to Notre Dame, Illinois, and Northwestern this year for a game.
LPI: What’s it like starting on varsity as a Sophomore? How did you deal with playing against kids a few years older than you?
MJ: It was hard to get through at first. I’m lucky to have been blessed with great length and size so I‘ve always played a few years up so that made it a bit easier. The speed of the game picked up a lot and that was the most difficult thing for me to get used to.
LPI: What’s it like playing alongside another talented wide receiver in Jalin Tolbert? Having two good wide receivers puts a lot of pressure on opposing secondaries so do you think it make things a little easier for you by opening up the field a bit more?
MJ: Having Jalin really opens up our offense. We both get double teamed a lot and it opens up so much for our run game. Having him is great because it gives me more 1 on 1 looks. I know Jalin will play very hard and I can trust him because he does everything he needs to do and more.
LPI: The Blue Devils finished last year at 5-4 making the playoffs. What are you and your team focusing on more this year to get back to the playoffs?
MJ: We really have been focusing on bringing the team together more this year than ever before. We just did an away camp at Illinois Wesleyan where our coaches took our phones so we couldn’t communicate with anybody else except for our team. We bonded really well and this is the closest team I’ve ever been on. That is huge for us because we have already built that trust with our team and I believe that will carry us a long way into the playoffs.
LPI: What are your greatest strengths or why should a school offer you?
MJ: My greatest strength on the football field is my size and my deceptive speed. I can cover space very quickly then use my footwork to make the DB’s turn their hips too early leaving me with open space.