It took a bit for Oklahoma to land Marvin Jones Jr., but it won't take him long to make an impact.
Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports and 247Sports reported on Sunday that Jones, an edge rusher, is expected to transfer to Oklahoma with one year of eligibility left. Pete Nakos of On3 also reported that Jones has already signed with the Sooners. This all came after Jones visited Norman on Thursday and Friday.
Florida State EDGE Marvin Jones Jr. has signed with Oklahoma, @On3sports has learned.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) January 6, 2025
The former Georgia transfer had 25 total tackles and 4 sacks in 2024. https://t.co/VxSGJEUisH pic.twitter.com/aUWVRCyWBn
What makes this addition even sweeter is that Jones also visited Texas last week before choosing OU over the Longhorns.
Despite hailing from Florida, the move to Norman will actually put Jones closer to family. Jones is the son of former NFL and two-time All-America linebacker Marvin Jones Sr., who also won the Butkus Award and Lombardi Award during his career at Florida State.
Today, Marvin Jones Sr. is the head coach for the Indoor Football League team, the Tulsa Oilers, only about a two-hour drive from Norman.
Oklahoma will be Jones' third stop after starting his career at Georgia for two years before spending a season with Florida State.
Jones is a former five-star recruit out of Coral Gables, Florida, and was ranked as high as the No. 2 edge rusher in the 2022 class by 247Sports and Rivals. He was almost a Sooner to begin with but ultimately chose Georgia out of high school after Lincoln Riley left OU for USC.
Once at Georgia, Jones immediately saw the field as a backup linebacker and on special teams as a freshman in 2022 when the Bulldogs won a national championship. He got more playing time at linebacker in 2023, totaling 16 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry during his Georgia career. His lone start with Georgia came in the 2023 SEC Championship Game.
Jones moved back to the defensive line this season after transfering to Florida State. He recorded 25 tackles, six TFLs, four sacks, one forced fumble and three quarterback hurries this season.
At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds with his experience and talent, Jones should immediately start at defensive end next season for the Sooners. OU was getting thin at the position with Ethan Downs exhausting his eligibility and R Mason Thomas likely headed to the NFL, although Thomas hasn't confirmed that decision yet.
Jones was also OU's first defensive addition out of the transfer portal so far this cycle. The Sooners had added 12 before Jones, including nine offensive players, a kicker and a punter.