Stampeding Through the 2025 USF Football Roster: #14 DE Eli Jones
THERE ARE STILL ONLY TWO WEEKS UNTIL USF PLAYS FOOTBALL
PLAYER: Eli Jones
POSITION: Defensive end
YEAR: Freshman
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6'3", 245 lbs.
HOW DID HE GET HERE? Another member of the Venice pipeline. USF currently has four players on the roster from Venice High School (Jones, Deylen Platt, Weston Wolff, and Thomas Shrader).
Jones was rated a low-to-mid three star prospect. He had offers from a handful of mid-major schools, and initially committed to the Bulls in April 2024 over programs like Navy, James Madison, and Central Michigan. Eventually he received an offer from Purdue and appeared to be seriously weighing it. But the Bulls managed to keep him in the class, and he signed and enrolled early.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN 2025? When Alex Golesh talks, I listen. Golesh gave Jones a shoutout as one of a few true freshmen who were impressing the staff during spring ball. Given USF’s influx of defensive line transfers, that’s not enough to make me expect significant playing time in 2025. But it’s certainly enough for me to keep tabs on Jones and his development in green and gold. We could see him on the field sooner rather than later.