Mike Norvell and his staff have proven time and again that Florida State is the premier program for showcasing defensive line transfers and getting them to the NFL
Norvell just landed his newest addition, and it’s a very familiar name.
Marvin Jones Jr. is coming home.
The 6’5”, 250 pound FSU legacy played his high school ball at American Heritage, coached by none other than current FSU DB coach Pat Surtain. Jones ultimately chose the Georgia Bulldogs after a hotly-contested recruitment, breaking many a heart among Seminole faithful.
In two seasons in Athens, he played in 25 games and accumulated 16 tackles (5.5 TFLs), two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He was limited by injury in his freshman season, leading to shoulder surgery afterwards. Jones began to find his stride toward the end of this season, seeing his usage increase quite a bit and earning the start against Alabama in the SEC Championship game.
Jones will look to follow the blueprint created by Jermaine Johnson, evolving from a rotational player in Athens to a bona fide star in Tallahassee. Time will tell whether he can achieve that same level of success, but the Seminoles are elated that he’s coming to Tallahassee to try.
He has two seasons of eligibility remaining and figures to be in the mix for a starting position next season as FSU looks to replace Jared Verse.
From his Georgia biography
2023: Has played in 12 games to date, making start against Alabama in SEC Championship…Had 0.5 tackle for a loss of five yards against Ball State…had one tackle for a loss of one yard in home win over UAB…recorded one tackle for a loss of a yard in win at Vanderbilt…collected the first fumble recovery of the season for the Bulldogs with one sack for a loss of two yards in road win over Florida…had two tackles, including a sack for a loss of 13 yards, and a forced fumble in final regular-season win over Georgia Tech.
2022: Saw action as a reserve LB and on kick coverage units in 13 games…credited with one solo tackle and a QB hurry in win at South Carolina…had a fourth-quarter QB sack in win over Georgia Tech.
High School: American Heritage HS, coached by Pat Surtain…selected to play in 2022 All-American Bowl…247Sports.com five-star prospect…ranked as the #2 edge prospect nationally, #5 prospect in Florida and #20 prospect nationally…PrepStar Magazine five-star prospect, #2 defensive end prospect, #7 prospect in Florida and #40 prospect nationally…ESPN.com four-star prospect, #7 edge prospect, #11 prospect in Florida and #64 prospect nationally…rivals.com five-star prospect, #2 edge prospect, #3 prospect in Florida and #13 prospect nationally…helped lead American Heritage HS to 6-4 record and to FHSAA Class 5A regional semifinals…tallied 46 tackles, six tackles for loss and five sacks for Patriots in 2021 senior season…also caught three passes for 63 yards and one touchdown on offense…helped lead Patriots to 11-2 record and Class 5A state championship in 2020 junior season…posted 55 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and recovered a fumble in junior season…named to Florida HS Football Class 5A First Team Defense.
Personal: Full name: MARVIN MAURICE JONES, JR….Intended major: Business… father, Marvin, Sr., was a two-time All-American linebacker at Florida State and winner of 1992 Butkus and Lombardi Awards before playing 11 seasons for New York Jets…recipient of the Ken and Jody Jackson Family Football Scholarship.
