Austin Jones (running back)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | February 7, 2001 Antioch, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, California) |
| College: | |
| Position: | Running back |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
As a player: | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
As a coach: | |
| |
Austin Jones (born February 7, 2001) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and USC Trojans and signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
Early life
[edit]Jones was born on February 7, 2001, in Antioch, California.[1] He attended Bishop O'Dowd High School, where he rushed for 1,560 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior[2] Coming out of high school, Jones was rated as a four-star recruit; he committed to play college football for the Stanford Cardinal.[2]
College career
[edit]Stanford
[edit]As a freshman in 2019, Jones rushed 45 times for 227 yards and a touchdown.[3] In 2020, he tallied 126 carries for 550 yards and nine touchdowns as he started all six games for Stanford.[4] In 2021, Jones carried the ball 107 times for 378 yards and two touchdowns.[3] After the season, he entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[5]
During his time at Stanford, Jones recorded 278 carries for 1,155 yards and 12 touchdowns and hauled in 67 passes for 531 yards and a touchdown.[6]
USC
[edit]Jones transferred to play for the USC Trojans.[4] In his USC debut in the 2022 season opener, he rushed four times for 48 yards and two touchdowns and made one catch for 21 yards.[5] In week 11 of the 2022 season, Jones rushed 11 times for 74 yards and hauled in four receptions and a touchdown.[7] In week 12, Jones rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns, while also hauling in four receptions for 57 yards.[8] In the 2022 regular season finale, Jones rushed 25 times for 154 yards in a win over Notre Dame.[9] During the 2022 season, Jones rushed 135 times for 705 yards and five touchdowns, while also totaling 25 receptions for 267 yards and a touchdown.[10] In the 2023 season, Jones rushed 85 times for 477 yards and seven touchdowns.[11] After the 2023 season, Jones declared for the 2024 NFL draft.[12]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 9+5⁄8 in (1.77 m) |
200 lb (91 kg) |
29+1⁄4 in (0.74 m) |
8+1⁄4 in (0.21 m) |
4.58 s | 1.64 s | 2.66 s | 4.39 s | 7.00 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) |
10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | ||
| All values from Pro Day[13] | ||||||||||||
Jones signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2024,[14] and was released on August 27.[15]
Coaching career
[edit]In 2025, Austin Jones was hired by Lakeside High School (Lake Elsinore, CA) to coach their football team.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2024 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 48. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Mazeika, Vytas (June 29, 2018). "Stanford gets commitment from 4-star East Bay running back". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Peterson, Derek (January 20, 2022). "USC continues to add offensive talent, lands Stanford RB transfer Austin Jones". Saturday Out West. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Grosbard, Adam (January 20, 2022). "USC adds Stanford RB transfer Austin Jones". Orange County-Register. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Grosbard, Adam (September 8, 2022). "USC RB Austin Jones ready to face former team Stanford". Orange County-Register. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ McKinney, Erik (September 9, 2022). "Austin Jones Ready to go Back to the Bay". WeAreSC.com. On3.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Grosbard, Adam (November 13, 2022). "USC RB Austin Jones ready to 'step up' for injured Travis Dye". Orange County-Register. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Hugenin, Mike (November 23, 2022). "Transfer portal notebook: RB Austin Jones suddenly a vital player for USC". On3.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Grosbard, Adam (November 27, 2022). "USC RB Austin Jones again steps up in win over Notre Dame". Orange County-Register. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Kosko, Nick (August 26, 2023). "Austin Jones, MarShawn Lloyd will both have roles in USC offense". WeAreSC.com. On3.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Mendel, Jacob (April 19, 2024). "Report: Dolphins meet with USC RB Austin Jones". The Phinsider. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Sandoval, Ricardo (December 28, 2023). "USC Football: Trojans Starting RB Has Declared for the NFL Draft". USC Trojans on SI. SI.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Austin Jones College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ "Commanders agree to terms with 11 college free agents". Commanders.com. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ Selby, Zach. "Commanders release 34 players; place 3 on IR, 1 on PUP list". Commanders.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ Atri, Rudransh (January 4, 2025). "23-YO College Football Athlete Turns Into a High School Coach After Playing for Lincoln Riley's USC". EssentiallySports. Retrieved January 5, 2025.