TUSCALOOSA, Ala.– Though he was selected as a cornerback in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Cyrus Jones was recruited to Alabama as a wide receiver. As Tide fans know, Jones was one of the most dynamic players on the field during the 2015 national championship season, returning an astronomical four touchdowns on punt returns. On some of the game’s biggest stages Jones showed out, including a high-leaping pick and an athletic punt return (complete with the Barry Sanders’ back-step) against Michigan State.
In the fall of 2017, we could see Cyrus Jones 2.0 in sophomore Trevon Diggs.
Jones and Diggs were both four-star recruits and both came from the state of Maryland. They were both recruited to Tuscaloosa as receivers and flipped to cornerback. In his lone season at wide out, Jones hauled in four passes for 51 yards. Last season, Diggs had 11 receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown.
After the team’s first scrimmage of the spring, Coach Nick Saban told reporters that Trevon played corner throughout the entire exhibition but gave no insight into his actual performance. Saban did, however, state that “he’s [Diggs] much more natural playing at corner than when we tried to play him at safety,” and that Diggs is “long” and is a “good tackler”. The high praise continued for the rising sophomore as Saban added that he “plays the ball well in the deep part of the field” and that he’s “done a good job of playing man-to-man.”
However, Saban was decidedly undecided on whether he plans to keep Diggs as a corner across from Anthony Averett or if he will return him to receiver. If Diggs does continue to play cornerback for Jeremy Pruitt’s defense, expect to see a lot of him. At 6-2, Trevon is nearly four inches taller than Cyrus was. Diggs started at cornerback as well as receiver for Avalon High School, so he’s already comfortable at the position. In his 2014 season, he snagged a total of nine interceptions – many of which were then returned for touchdowns.
One of Jones’ biggest contributions to that championship team were his aforementioned punt returns. Trevon Diggs was also tested at punt/kick returner – as a true freshman. He tallied 14 punt returns for 130 yards as well as seven kick returns for 166 yards. His longest return came in the form a 47-yarder against Florida in the Southeastern Conference Championship game.
Cyrus Jones certainly wrote his name in crimson flames with the way he competed every single game. Should Trevon Diggs stay at cornerback next season, more and more people will start to compare his story to that of Jones’. While Diggs will have a lot to live up to, he has the tools and ability to carve out his own name in the Alabama record books.
Jake Weaver is a contributor for TD Alabama Magazine and Bama Hoops Hype. You can contact him via email at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter for sports news/commentary @JAWeaver0.
