Ronald Jones to enter NFL Draft

USC junior running back Ronald Jones II will forego his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. "There’s only so much you can accomplish as a running back. Our time table is short. After talking to my family and my coaches, I knew the time was right," Jones told Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Jones starred at McKinney North from 2013-15, rushing for 4,415 yards and 67 touchdowns in his final two seasons before signing with the Trojans. As a junior in 2017, Jones rushed for 1,550 yards and 19 touchdowns, helping USC win a Pac-12 title and finish its season back in his home state at the Cotton Bowl, losing 24-7 to Ohio State. "It didn’t come out like I wanted, but to play my last game in front of family and friends and people who knew me since the Pop Warner days, it was special," Jones said. [caption id="attachment_36651" align="alignright" width="350"] Jones was a standout star at McKinney North before moving on to USC. (Photo by JD Bryant)[/caption] Some USC teammates gave him their team-provided tickets to accommodate the 14 close friends and family who attended the Cotton Bowl, Jones said. He finished his career with 39 rushing touchdowns and 3,619 career rushing yards, No. 5 on USC's all-time list, ahead of Heisman Trophy winners Reggie Bush and O.J. Simpson. His combination of straight-line speed and quick cuts helped him make an immediate impact as a reserve in 2015. His 987 yards led the team, making him only the second freshman in school history to lead the team in rushing, joining Lendale White in 2003. Jones is expected to be among the top running backs drafted, and the NFL's Draft Advisory committee's report gave him a third-round grade, he said. Only 10 total running backs were drafted in the first two rounds in the last three drafts. Jones was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. Fellow running backs like Penn State's Saquon Barkley and Auburn's Kerryon Johnson have already declared for the draft. Stanford's Bryce Love, the Doak Walker Award winner, hasn't announced whether or not he plans to return for his senior season. Thursday, Trojans sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold announced his intentions to enter the draft, becoming the first of what could be a handful of Trojans to make the early jump. "We kind of knew he was coming out. But him definitely not coming back, it just further made my decision since we don't know who the quarterback will be next year," Jones said. Jones is still undecided on representation, but will prepare for the draft with EXOS.