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PROVO — It's been nearly a decade since the state of Utah had a football player go to Washington.
But that didn't stop Provo High wide receiver Ty Jones.
Jones committed to the Huskies on Tuesday night, calling coach Chris Peterson and affirming his allegiance to the Pac-12 school in the Pacific Northwest.
"The thing that set them apart was their business program and the coaching staff," said Jones, who will be a senior next fall. "I felt really comfortable around them; they are down to earth guys, great coaches, and I knew that my mom was the most comfortable with them.
"They'll make me the best football player as possible."
#Committed GO DAWGS!!!! 💜💜💜 pic.twitter.com/CCBfTZ2MZZ
— Ty Jones ☀️ (@Baller2Ty) May 18, 2016
Players and schools are not bound by commitments, but Jones is confident he will sign a national letter of intent with Washington during the early signing period. He becomes the first Huskie commit from the Beehive State since Judge Memorial's Cort Dennison went to Seattle in 2007.
More importantly, perhaps, Jones becomes the first Division I prospect from Provo High since Likio Pope went to Utah as a walk-on in 2009. Veteran Provo coaches believe he is the first Division I commit with a full-ride scholarship since former NFL tackle Kirk Chambers signed with Stanford in 1997.
He hopes he isn't the last from a Provo team that turned a corner and finished 8-3 last season with a second-place finish in Region 7.
"I think it really influences others seeing someone go D-I," Jones said. "Everyone else works harder; it's a good thing for Provo High. We've got some good boys, and I think there will be more of us."
Jones was the Bulldogs' top target in 2015, catching 53 passes for 989 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound wideout is the top-rated receiver in the state by Scout.com, and the No. 8 receiver on the West Coast.
With one season to go, Jones could have waited on the bounteous list of offers he's received, which includes BYU, Utah State, UNLV, Nevada, Yale, Oregon State and Utah, to which he committed at the end of his sophomore season.
But in the end, why wait?
"I wanted to end it before it got more hectic," he said. "People say it gets worse closer to the season, and I wanted to get it out of the way. I didn't find a reason to wait. I already knew I wanted to go there."
Jones hopes to build on Provo's big season a year ago, and turn the Bulldogs into a consistent playoff team. After that, he'll focus on a Washington squad with a focus on wide receivers in the 2017 recruiting class. Jones is the third wideout to commit to Peterson this spring, as the former Boise State coach looks to beef up his pass catchers.
It's a perfect setup for the big receiver who admits he bleeds Provo green.
"I'm a hard worker, a big boy, and I go get the ball, no matter how far it is," Jones said. "I'm someone who will make everyone around him better, and I can also block. I'm excited to get out there."
