Final Commit

Markish Jones, a wide receiver from Compton Community College (I believe it’s actually called El Camino College) just faxed in his letter of intent. He caught 39 passes for 521 yards and seven touchdowns this past season in the ‘hood and was a former Rivals four-star prospect out of Broome HS in South Carolina.

He ended up at Compton after academic issues prevented him from attending Clemson. He originally committed to Clemson in February 2007, per gatorbait, where you can see videos of him playing in high school (not sure if it’s worth waiting through the long commercial; the quality is terrible). There’s an interesting article about confusion regarding his initial commitment to Clemson, which you can find here. The article states:

Signing day for Markish Jones went down like this; Jones, South Carolina’s Offensive MVP of this year’s Shrine Bowl and a 4-star prospect out of Broome HS, signed his letter of intent (including his mother’s signature) to attend Clemson. He does not immediately fax it to Clemson. Jones calls Florida State coaches to inform them of his decision. An hour later, he and his mother sign a second letter of intent, this time to Florida State. This time, they fax it off. It was reported that Tommy Bowden spent nearly two hours that afternoon on the phone with Markish and his mother and that after the conversation they called the Broome head coach and asked him to locate and return the unfaxed Clemson LOI.

Within the week, Clemson coaches petitioned the ACC, who sent the matter to Torie Johnson, director of the National Letter of Intent in Birmingham, Alabama. The NLI ruled that once the letter was signed by a player and their guardian, it was binding. The Tallahassee Democrat noted that this interpretation would likely be at odds with many schools’ own compliance interpretations.

It’s a little strange that he is still listed as a player on Clemon’s website:

Before Clemson: Rated as the #28 wide receiver in the nation according to Rivals.com...#79 wide receiver in the nation by Scout.com...#47 athlete in the nation by Rivals.com...#11 prospect in the state by SuperPrep...#8 prospect in the state by Rivals.com...#7 prospect in the state by TigerIllustrated.com...offensive MVP for the South Carolina team in the Shrine Bowl...all-region selection by PrepStar...four-star prospect out of Gettys D. Broome High School...played on both sides of the ball at the wide receiver and safety positions...totaled 40 receptions for 1,030 yards and 13 touchdowns during his senior season at Gettys D. Broome High School...had five interceptions and nine pass breakups as a senior...had 550 receiving yards and five touchdowns as a junior, and added 28 tackles and five pass breakups...standout in track; he was a four-event state champion in 2006, including the 100m, 200m, 400m, and long jump...recruited by Inside Linebackers Coach David Blackwell...chose Clemson over East Carolina, Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech...born Dec. 7, 1988.

According to ESPN, he never enrolled at Clemson. Here’s ESPN’s analysis of him back in 2007:

Jones is an explosive, speedy wide receiver prospect with sensational hands and knack for making big plays--especially in traffic. Is an impressive all-around athlete with versatility as a prospect. A true vertical threat with good height, arm length and leaping ability. He has the initial burst and top-end speed to simply run by defenders in man-coverage. Shows a second gear when tracking down the deep ball. He is fluid and shows smooth hips. He does not need to gear down to get in and out of his breaks. His instincts and coverage recognition skills are impressive. He shows the consistent ability to find soft spots in zone coverage. He is subtle with double moves. He is quick and savvy enough to avoid the press at the line of scrimmage. He is very impressive after the catch and if he gets a seam, he really turns on the jets. He shows very good concentration and focus--has soft hands and plucks and tucks quickly. Has no fear across the middle. Overall, Jones has the makings of a great playmaker at the next level. He is quick, fast, shows savvy as a route runner and catches everything.

In addition to attending the JC in Compton, he also attended Hutchinson Community College last year. An article from the JC’s website in January 2008 states:

Markish Jones had a very strong first meet for the Blue Dragons. He qualified for nationals by winning the long jump with a mark of 23-0.75. He was third in the 55 meters with a time of 6.52 seconds and ran a leg on the 4x400 relay.

This article from May 2008 indicates that he had given up football:

2007 Clemson signee WR Markish Jones (6-1, 202) of Broome and Hutchinson JC, Kan., apparently has given up football to concentrate on track, according to his coach. Ryan Rhodes said Jones pulled a hamstring early in fall camp last season and redshirted, and he doesn't plan to return to the football team.