Last season, LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey made waves after the junior running backs skipped their respective bowl games in order to begin preparations for the NFL draft.
Ronald Jones, USC’s draft-eligible running back, will not join the recent trend.
The junior said after the Pac-12 Conference championship game earlier this month that he would play in the team’s bowl game.
“Most definitely,” Jones said. “I can’t go out like that.”
It was two days before the Trojans were selected for the Cotton Bowl, where they face Ohio State on Dec. 29, in Arlington, Texas. Jones grew up in nearby McKinney, Texas.
Jones said after the Trojans’ conference title-clinching win over Stanford that he had not made a decision about whether to declare for the draft or stay for his senior season.
“I want to finish up school, I want to get bigger,” Jones said, “but if that opportunity’s there too, I definitely got to go get that.”
The website DraftAnalyst.com currently projects Jones as a second-round pick.
In recent seasons, most of USC’s players have revealed decisions about their futures after the bowl game.
Over 12 games this season, Jones rushed for a career-best 1,486 yards and 18 touchdowns, becoming the first USC running back with consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons since LenDale White in 2004 and 2005.
Jones, who has rushed for 3,555 yards in three seasons with the Trojans, is assured to leave as one of the school’s most productive runners, having moved into the top five on its career rushing list. With 130 yards on 30 carries against Stanford, Jones passed O.J. Simpson for fifth place and could catch Ricky Bell for fourth with 134 yards in the Cotton Bowl and Anthony Davis for third with 169 yards.
Fournette and McCaffrey, who ended up as top-10 draft picks, also cited injuries for skipping their bowl games, as they had been banged up at various points in the season.
Jones missed USC’s road opener at Cal in September with an ankle injury, but has since recovered.
This month, three players from Texas, including left tackle Connor Williams, and Florida State safety Derwin James have announced they will skip postseason play to turn pro.
BOWL PREP
USC was scheduled to hold the first of its 12 pre-Cotton Bowl practices on Monday.
The first practice was closed to the media, but reporters will be in attendance later in the week.
Most of the Trojans coaches were traveling last week while recruiting.
Seven of the bowl practices are scheduled to be held on campus before the team travels to Dallas on Dec. 23.
ALL-AMERICA WATCH
Jones and sophomore cornerback Jack Jones were named Associated Press third-team All-Americans on Monday.
The AP is one of the five official All-America teams recognized by the NCAA.
USC did not have players named to the Football Writers Association of America’s All-America teams that were also released Monday, nor the Walter Camp All-American teams.
The All-America teams for the Sporting News and American Football Coaches Association will be announced on Tuesday and Wednesday.
