Florida is continuing to make a major push for a top local target in 2024 and they’re hoping to land a commitment soon.
Ryan Jones is an active 6’8” forward who resides in Gainesville and plays for local powerhouse The Rock School and the Gators are hoping to keep him at home in 2024 to play for the orange and blue.
Jones has been a target the Gators have had their eyes on since the new staff got to Gainesville which makes sense given the amount of boxes he checks in terms of what the coaches are looking for. In addition to the clear basketball skills of size, length, and athleticism he’s a hometown kid and Todd Golden has made it clear that he wants to recruit locally first before going around the country–so landing one of the best players in Gainesville should be a priority.
When it comes to how Jones has been ranked, you’ll get a different piece of information depending on when you have looked and who you ask. According to the 247 Composite which takes in account a number of different rankings he is currently 53rd in the 2024 class though he has dipped to as low as 72 and has risen as high as 17th–and there are still some recruiting services that have him as a top-15 talent.
The differences in opinion regarding Jones are likely due to the fact he has a very different game than a lot of top-100 players you normally see in today’s day and age. He’s not someone who plays the game with ego, and he’s not someone that puts his personal highlights above the team. Jones is all about winning–and sometimes that means playing the game with grit and determination as opposed to taking tough shots and trying difficult dunks in transition.
Energy and effort are the first thing you’ll notice when you see Jones play–well, that and a 6’8”, 225 pound frame that makes him look like he could play SEC minutes tomorrow. Watching Jones play his tireless sprinting back in transition defense and sacrificial dives on the floor to grab loose balls isn’t what’s going to make highlight tapes–but it’s what makes The Rock School a winning program on the back of Jones’ leadership. Certainly when some evaluators watch Jones play they’ll think he lacks some top end skill at this point and that’s why they have him ranked a little bit lower, whereas some evaluators are going to see his dedication to doing whatever it takes to win and know he’s going to help a top program in college basketball.
There is a pure joy in the way Jones plays basketball–he often has a smile on his face, and you can tell he truly loves every element of the game from rebounding, to passing, to finishing monster dunks at the rim.
In high school Jones has played the three, four, and five positions–though he likely projects as a high-major four. You can also expect to see him playing a lot more four than five this season and that’s because The Rock School just picked up a big time center–Florida commit John Bol. This was a massive move for The Rock School, and for the Gators who now get to keep a close eye on their star upcoming center in Gainesville. Bol already attended a powerhouse program in Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas–but coming to The Rock School makes them one of the projected best high school teams in the country.
Of course–with Bol now at The Rock School the Gators are hoping that Jones will love playing alongside him and want to keep the magic going in college.
Jones recently took a visit to Florida which by all accounts went fantastic. There is no timetable for Jones to make a decision, but the Gators would love to grab a commitment early in the cycle and allow Jones to focus on his high school season alongside Bol. Jones has already locked in an official visit to Florida in the fall which will take place September 15th. Additionally, Jones has visits scheduled to Virginia Tech and Xavier–though Miami is thought to be making a major push recently.