One surprising player breaking out during FSU’s fall camp

"There was some good opportunities, I think James Williams, Jaden Jones, showed up," Norvell said on Tuesday evening. "I know a couple guys that showed up with quarterback sacks that had good wins in those situations. You felt some of the disruption show up at times with our defensive front and guys were flying around. That was something I was pleased with."

It's a development worth highlighting as Jones didn't crack the two-deep on our initial fall camp depth chart prediction.

FSU Defensive Coordinator Tony White Thought Jaden Jones Was One Of The Best Players On The Field

Jones signed with Florida State out of junior college in 2023, contributing sparingly in five games while recovering from a previous ACL injury. He began to stand out in the spring of 2024 but went down with another lower-body injury that cost him all of last season.

Overlooked in the defensive end room, Jones has kept his head down and put in the work.

"Jaden Jones, I thought he played, just coming off an injury and all that stuff, you saw his work ethic. The young man, I mean he works his butt off," defensive coordinator Tony White said. "One of the first ones in the building, one of the last ones to leave. Just a really humble young man.

"Just to see him go out there, no restrictions, not to hesitate, no fear of the injury before, it was really cool to watch him play. He played really well," White added.

White called Jones one of the 'best players' on the field in the first scrimmage. The new defensive coordinator has been impressed by everything Jones has done on and off the field to get back to full strength.

Jones just needs to continue ascending to give himself a chance to earn consistent playing time.

"I think everything he's been doing," White said. "Being the first one in the building, being very humble, just going about his business. Understanding what to do, understanding how to do it, and use every opportunity... using every tool and every resource for him to continue to get better.

"He's made that jump," White continued. "He's gone from a guy who's never taken the field and been injured to last night, he arguably was probably one of the best players on the football field, you know what I mean? So for him to do that, everything in his process is working."

Jaden Jones Has Earned His Moment

Following a streneous rehab and recovery that kept him away from football for a year, Jones is back doing what he loves. This could become one of the feel good stories for Florida State in 2024 if he can become a productive player this fall.

White believes an outing like Tuesday only provides Jones with more confidence. Believing in yourself and your assignment is the first step to playing free on game days.

"Now we've got to continue to give him the resources and nights like that give him the confidence to be like 'ok, I can do this and I can do it a high level' so we've just got to keep continuing giving him the things he needs to do to feel confident and go out there and play," White said.

Jones's growth is important for Florida State in a shifting defensive end room that also includes James Williams, Jayson Jenkins, Deamontae Diggs, Amaree Williams, and a host of younger players. Though he hasn't seen the field much with the Seminoles to this point, Jones offers potential as a bridge between the veterans and prospects across the unit.

Next Up For Florida State:

The Seminoles are in Jacksonville for the next few days. Florida State is set to hold its annual slate of practices at UNF on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

The team will be back in Tallahassee for its second preseason scrimmage on Sunday.