Four-star Jones ready to roll

Dequan Jones, one of the top 70 players in the class of 2008, is one of the most exciting athletes in the class. The Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler High School product closed the summer out strong and now hopes to take his recruitment into the next realm. He begins his official visits this weekend.

Jones said his final five schools are Miami, Florida State, Oregon, Cincinnati and Oklahoma and he's ready to see what each has to offer.

"All five of them give me the opportunity to come in and play as a freshman," Jones said. "That is the most important thing."

Jones starts his visit this weekend. The four-star prospect is off to Miami, where he'll see the Hurricanes program up close and personal for the first time. Florida State is the week after. Jones said both schools will do in-home visits after he makes the official trips. The other three visits could be planned during the in-home visits in September. However, the race appears to be between the two ACC schools.

"I'd probably say Miami and Florida State are leading," Jones said.

The draw of the ACC is intriguing to Jones.

"It is the best conference out there and the ACC has been good for years. I think it's safe to say they aren't going anywhere either," he said. "The ACC is an athlete's conference. I think it suits my strengths. There are a lot of really good athletes just like me in it."

Jones said the conference will have an impact on his decision.

"With each team, I'm looking at the conferences," he said. "What can I shine the best in?"

The visits will also play into his final decision.

"They are extremely important because you can see it all in person. You can talk to the coaches on the phone for hours and they can tell you how big the school is or how well they've been," Jones said. "But when you get out there, you can see it all for yourself. You can see the working parts. You can see the student body and how big or small everything really is. I can't wait."