KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt announced the addition of veteran wide receiver and kick returner Velus Jones to the Volunteers’ football program on Monday.
Jones collected All-Conference Second Team honors from the Pac-12 as a return specialist in 2019. He graduated from Southern California and will be eligible to play this fall.
The Saraland, Ala., native was a valuable member of the Trojans’ receiver rotation during the last three years, while proving to be one of the Pac-12’s top kick returners during his career.
“We are very excited to welcome Velus to our Tennessee football family,” Pruitt said. “Velus is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands. He has strength, speed and a high football IQ. He will immediately add veteran leadership to our team and be an impact player as both a receiver and as a return guy. He’s an all-conference talent, and I know he is ready to get to work with the rest of our team.”
For his career, Jones has 36 receptions for 347 yards to go along with a 24.0 kick return average on 81 career attempts. The 6-0, 190-pounder has scored a touchdown receiving, rushing and on a kick return.
In 2019, Jones returned 29 kickoffs for 704 yards and one score. He added 35 yards on six receptions as a redshirt junior. He had a 100-yard kick return touchdown in the season-opener against Fresno State.
During the 2018 season, Jones was named to the PFF All-Pac-12 second team for his kick returning abilities, returning 21 kicks for 483 yards. Offensively, he collected 24 receptions for 266 yards and one touchdown. He also had six rushes for 13 yards and a touchdown.
As a redshirt freshman in 2017, Jones was named to the 2017 CollegeFootballNews.com All-Pac-12 first team, Athlon All-Pac-12 second team and Phil Steele All-Pac-12 second team as a kick returner. He returned 31 kickoffs for 760 yards, had six receptions for 46 yards, and five rushes for 15 yards.
Jones was a USA Today All-Alabama First Team selection and an Alabama Sportswriters Association All-State Class 6A First Team honoree after totaling 48 receptions for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior a Saraland (Ala.) High School in 2015.
-UT Athletics
