Coach Speak: Kris Jones — dominant, well-respected, and ready

For Fairfax High assistant coach John Harris, there’s just no replacing a guy like four-star linebacker Kris Jones. It’s up to the next generation to take up his mantle.

“With Kris, it’s like it was with Tony Rojas, as well. Now, there’s no person to look to when you’re down seven. We have some young guys who have to become that guy, and they can do that. If you can find one positive area of him not finishing the season, it was that the young guys had to figure out who was who,” Harris said. “That’s the hardest part, though. You’re so used to saying, ‘Oh, we have a Tony Rojas or Kris Jones.’ Those guys can win you a close game. Those younger guys have to become that guy now.”

But the example left behind from the Georgia freshman will linger in a major way, as Jones set a standard with his performance and demeanor.

“The cool thing about Kris is he’s so adult-like that you sometimes forget that he’s a teenager. He’s always the adult in the room, whether it’s in the positional meeting or classroom. He’s a very serious person. He’s a great kid, but he’s so serious that he’s adult-like. I think that will transition to college even more than his physical attributes,” Harris said.

And when it comes to leadership from Jones, there was plenty of that to go around, as well.

“That’s the good thing about him. He’s both (vocal and by example). He came in here to Fairfax, and it wasn’t like he started yelling at guys. He learned so fast. Once he learned our system, he started helping the young guys out. It wasn’t a long process. He’s one of those guys,” Harris said. “He’ll get after you if he doesn’t think you’re playing up to your ability. What makes him a little bit different than some of the guys at his position is that he welcomes that back from us as coaches, as well as his peers. I think it’s a big part of why everyone respects him.”

Of course, a gutsy performance under duress in his senior season did plenty to endear Jones to his teammates and coaches.

“If you look back on his senior film, you can see what he did with that toe, and it’s absolutely amazing. To be honest, he hurt the toe right before camp started, so he didn’t do a lot of physical stuff through camp or in the preseason. He was just trying to get it right. Once he started playing, he was amazing, but you could tell it wasn’t right,” Harris said. “When he went to Georgia, he found out there was more to it. He came back and moved to defensive end and was dominant there for a couple of weeks before we shut him down. For me, it says a lot about a kid who has the world in front of him but just loves to play. Not only did he move to defensive end, but he got like two sacks in three games.”

It’s no surprise to see it all come together in Jones, on and off the field, however. His support system played a major role in his high school experience and should translate seamlessly to his experience in Athens, as well.

“His family is great. A lot of stuff that the average recruit goes through, he didn’t have to deal with as much because they did a great job of preparing him for what comes with success. A lot of the things you see with others guys, you didn’t see with him,” Harris said. “He was as prepared as a teenager could be. They’re just an amazing family. His older brother is a great guy. His dad is a guy I consider a friend, and his mom is amazing. He would’ve had to have tried to fail.”

Kris Jones ranked at the nation’s No. 147 overall prospect in the On3 Class of 2024 Industry Ranking.

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