Nov. 19—One of the most productive college football players in New Mexico is looking for a new home.
New Mexico Highlands running back Jeffery Jones has entered the transfer portal. The freshman made the announcement Monday, via social media.
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The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Jones led NMHU with a program-record 1,723 rushing yards (the second-best mark in Div. II) and 15 touchdowns on 10.8 yards per carry. He notably rushed for a Div. II freshman record 385 yards and four touchdowns against Western New Mexico on Sept. 6, just his second game with the Cowboys.
Unlike Div. I, there is no scheduled portal window for Div. II. Players like Jones are free to enter the portal whenever they please, but have to notify a school of their intention to transfer by June 15.
“After having deep conversations with my parents, my coaches and the people that I trust most, I’ve decided to enter my name into the NCAA transfer portal,” Jones posted on X. “This was not an easy decision, but I feel it’s one I feel is right for my future.”
Jones told the Journal his decision to enter the portal was motivated by a decision to play at a higher level, one that wasn’t made available to him when he was a senior at St. Petersburg (Fla.) High School. Back then, his only two offers came from Highlands and Central Florida, with the latter offering only a preferred walk-on spot (PWO).
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“I’m humble, but I’m kinda confident in myself,” he said in an interview Wednesday. “And I knew I was better than a PWO (spot).”
After announcing his plans to enter the portal, Jones has posted offers from FCS programs like Campbell, Tarleton State and Stephen F. Austin. But he’s received some FBS interest as well, including a New Mexico staffer reaching out (but not offering) the St. Petersburg, Florida native.
For his part, Jones said he’s open to anything that’s presented. He did not, however, rule out a possible return to NMHU, saying the program will “forever have a place in my heart.”
“The one thing (Highlands coaches) told me (was)” Jones said, “‘you always have a home here if you decide that you like none of the offers is a good fit for you’ … This place is always going to be a special place for me, because this is where I started. Everything here feels like family, from the players to the coaches.
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NMHU finished 6-5 this season, posting the program’s first winning record since 2012. Led by second-year head coach Kurt Taufa’asau, the Cowboys improved their win total by four games and notably swept both in-state opponents, Western New Mexico and Eastern New Mexico.
Jones was a large part of that success, rushing for a gaudy 836 yards and eight touchdowns in his first three games with the Cowboys. His 1,723 rushing yards in 10 games was second to only Virginia Union running back Curtis Allen’s 2,261 yards this season; no other Div. II players surpassed the 1,700-yard mark.
