Cayden Jones ’24 wasn’t looking for social media clout when he took a picture with Nick Saban in late January, a coffee table full of championship rings laid out before them.
The smile on Cayden’s face is because a visit to Tuscaloosa, Ala., had confirmed what he already knew – the very last scholarship offer in his recruiting was the only one he wanted.
Cayden committed to Alabama with a live-streamed press conference Friday in Mebane Field House – a first for Christ School. But then again, no Greenie has ever played football for the Crimson Tide, who have set the standard for the modern-day college game with six national championships since 2009 under Saban.
Roll Tide ????? @caydenjones_33 pic.twitter.com/ZxIOc4E5Yv
— Christ School Athletics (@greeniesports) April 21, 2023
“I’m just an Alabama guy. I’ve had this love for Alabama and the way they’ve played. I’ve just always loved watching them,” Cayden told the media Friday.
“Honestly, if Alabama had offered me first, I probably wouldn’t have had all these other offers because I just would have committed. I’m just looking forward to getting on campus and competing with the best, growing on and off the field.”
Cayden is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound free safety/linebacker/wide receiver from Asheville who has continued to fill out physically as he’s shown his versatility on both sides of the ball.
He shared the team lead in tackles (7.0) at the time of a season-ending arm injury in October. And he has always come through when head coach Chad Walker has leaned on Cayden for offense or special teams the past two years.
Cayden said that his decision came down to the Crimson Tide or Tennessee. The Volunteers had Cayden and his family in Knoxville for their 52-49 win over Alabama on Oct. 15. But his heart was in the other locker room.
Cayden has played three years of varsity football for the Greenies and is a two-time all-state and two-time all-conference selection. Two other members of his family have attended Christ School – Carson Jones ’18 and Max LeCroy ’19.
Cayden's other scholarship offers included (in alphabetical order): Auburn, Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, Kentucky, Liberty, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, N.C. State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Syracuse, USC, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.
Cayden’s commitment is the newest recruiting blockbuster from Christ School’s Class of 2024. Bryson Cokley (Wake Forest University basketball), Khalil Conley (University of North Carolina football), and Josh Harrison (Wake Forest University football) are other 11th grade student-athletes who have plotted out their futures.
