With the South Carolina High School League getting their season underway on Friday, we got a chance to scout one of the Tar Heels’ 2021 commits for the first time since the middle of August. 2021 3✮ WR J.J. Jones and the Myrtle Beach Seahawks began their quest to return to the SCHSL AAAA State Championship Game for the third year in a row as they faced region opponent Darlington. In a dominant outing, Jones and the Seahawks topped their conference foes 69-0 in a game that saw a running clock for the entire second half.
Jones only played the first half and the first drive of the second half, but still made a nice impact in the limited action that he saw on Friday night. Jones was targeted six times, all in the first half and hauled in three of those targets for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
Jones’ first touchdown catch of the night, Jones was somehow left wide open in the endzone. With the broadcast angles, it was difficult to see, but the broadcasters said he was able to get so free with the use of an amazing double move. His second touchdown was a simple pitch and catch, where he was able to beat the corner inside on a post route and haul in an easy touchdown. Jones’ most impressive catch of the night, though, may have been his first catch of the night, where he was able to catch a pass along the sidelines and tap a foot for the catch, showing off his impressive catch radius.
Jones looked pretty good on Friday night, even though he played limited snaps in the blowout where the Seahawks also saw a lot of short fields. His route running is something that was noticeable on his film and it was noticeable once again in this game. Jones can catch just about anything with his wide catch radius. He wasn’t able to show his ability to go up and get the football, but there were some opportunities that were underthrown by quarterback Ryan Burger. He also wasn’t able to showcase his ability after the catch, something we were hoping to see after being impressed with it on tape.
One other thing that was worth noting overall from this game was junior wide receiver Adam Randall. Randall had a big night, showcasing his ability to separate and his straight line speed after the catch. With him being a major target for the Tar Heels in the 2022 cycle, we will definitely be circling back to scout him later this season.
Friday night was a cakewalk for the Seahawks against the Falcons, as they cemented themselves as one of the best bets to make the state title again later this year. While we will be back later in the year to focus on Randall, we may also be back to get a better look at Jones in the playoffs where he’ll have to play a bigger role and potentially show off a little more.
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