Laurence “Hootie” Jones, a four-star safety regarded as a top-50 prospect nationally, decommitted from Alabama on Wednesday after originally giving his verbal pledge to the Tide on Dec. 3. He will now open up his recruitment, though most feel his two finalists are Alabama and LSU.
4-star Laurence ‘Hootie’ Jones decommits from Alabama
One of the top defensive backs in the 2014 class is no longer committed to Alabama. Will he stick with the Tide come National Signing Day, or will he go with the hometown Tigers?
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Spor
I just decommit from Alabama, i need more time.!
— LockDown (@LJ7_Era) December 18, 2013 Jones recently finished up his senior season at Neville High School in Monroe, La., which is about three hours up the road from Baton Rouge. He visited LSU on Nov. 22, and after committing to Alabama in early December, he took his visit to Tuscaloosa about 10 days later. Now, on Dec. 18, he becomes one of the top uncommitted defensive players still on the board for the 2014 class.
At 6’2 and 215 pounds, Jones possesses all of the physical tools required to be a standout safety in the SEC. He’s regarded as a solid tackler with strong hands and has a high football IQ on the field, though he’ll need to work on closing techniques a bit once he reaches the college level. Where he will end up playing in college is anyone’s guess at this point, though.
