Former Oklahoma LB visiting Clemson

This weekend, Clemson will host former Oklahoma University linebacker Kellen Jones for an official visit.

LB Kellen Jones Profile

A four-star prospect coming out of St. Pius X High School [Houston, Tex.] in 2011, Jones received his release from Oklahoma about a month ago. Scout.com ranked him as the No. 11 middle linebacker in the 2011 class.

Starting on Thursday afternoon, he’ll be on an official visit to Clemson. The 6-foot-1, 223-pound sophomore will stay through Saturday.

“It’s an up and rising program,” he said in an interview with CUTigers on Thursday morning. “The defensive coordinator, coach [Brent] Venables, went there. I wasn’t really picturing myself at Oklahoma. It wasn’t the right place for me. Coach V was a good person and I really got along with him. Why not try to go to Clemson?”

Venables, the former Oklahoma defensive coordinator, has had several conversations with Jones over the last several weeks.

“He said it’s a really good family environment there. It’s a beautiful environment. Socially, everybody is great, easy to get along with,” Jones said. “He seems to really like it. He said that I would really enjoy my time there.”

As a freshman at Oklahoma last season, he had 10 tackles in 12 games.

Jones, who briefly enrolled at Michigan last summer, is also considering a transfer to Purdue, Vanderbilt, Arkansas or Virginia. He visited Purdue last week.

“It was very impressive. I really like the new coaching staff,” he said of the Purdue visit. “I think coach [Tim] Tibesar, the new defensive coordinator, has a really good knowledge for the game…I was very impressed with them. They’re definitely going to be competing, as far as the next place I end up.”

For the moment, Jones has no other official visits on the docket.

“I’m probably going [to decide] at the end of this semester. I’m not really going to rush. That’s why, I think, one of the reasons why I ended up not making the right decision that best fits."

“Being a math major, I just don’t want to make that same mistake. I want to take my time, evaluate each school, the pros and cons of each school, and go from there.”

What does he know about Clemson?

“I know coach [Dabo] Swinney is a great coach. He went to Alabama. He’s been producing ever since he got there at Clemson. It’s an up and rising program. I think they’re going to be a future national title contender.”