The college football season in Texas starts a week earlier than normal with a Week 0 matchup between North Texas and UTEP. To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas every day until Aug. 27. The list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best, though talent plays a major factor in most important.

No. 34: D’Anthony Jones, Houston senior defensive end 

The History

Jones slipped through the recruiting cracks as an inside linebacker prospect out of Leuzinger High School in California. He found his way to Long Beach City College and emerged as a three-star recruit and the sixth-ranked JUCO outside linebacker prospect in the country and a top-100 overall player in the 2020 recruiting cycle. Jones racked up 62 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and five interceptions during the 2019 season. He earned CCCFCA All-America first team honors and was named the National Norther League’s Defensive Player of the Year. 

Jones made four appearances in 2020, logging nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack in his first season at Houston. The 2021 season offered a taste of his potential by finishing with a team-high seven sacks. 

The Skillset 

Jones is a big-bodied defensive lineman who was made for the outside of a three-man defensive line such as the 3-3-stack deployed by Houston and defensive coordinator Doug Belk. He’s too athletic for interior linemen. He’s too powerful for tackles and tight ends. When he’s on the field, Jones is one of the most unblockable players in Texas. He was a walking big play last season with 9.5 of his tackles taking place behind the line of scrimmage. He added four additional hits on the quarterback and recovered a fumble. Jones was a late bloomer, but he’s become one of the best players on one of the most disruptive defenses in college football. 

The Impact  

The emergence of Sack Ave., which is what the Houston defensive line uses as its moniker, helped the Third Ward Defense return to prominence under the direction of Belk. The hot shot defensive coordinator credited Jones with the Sack Ave. nickname during a recent presser at the THSCA convention and coaching school. Jones backs up his talk with actions. He’s a disrupter and that’s what Belk wants in his defense. Jones demands extra attention by the offensive line in passing situations, and his efforts provide one-on-one opportunities for everyone else on the defensive line. The losses of Logan Hall and David Anenih provide more opportunities for Jones to make an impact and raise his draft stock. 

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