Dom Jones commits to Colorado State

The secondary should be one of the strengths for Colorado State in 2023.

With the four most productive starters all returning, the hope is that the Rams can build off of the success they had over the final two months of the 2022 campaign and take things to the next level in year two under defensive coordinator Freddie Banks. 

If CSU is going to live up to the hype and achieve the level of defensive success that could be possible for this group, it can’t just be the established veterans in the secondary making plays though. The transfers are going to need to be a major part of the equation. 

Following the Spring Game, Jay Norvell was pleased with what he had seen throughout the last 15 practices from Ron Hardge (Oregon State) and Dominic Morris (Furman), both of which joined the team this winter. 

“I think we got guys that can cover,” Norvell said. “I think we can make another step defensively. Obviously we want to take pressure off of them by scoring more points and staying on the field offensively. But I think we’ve got a chance to be even more explosive defensively, and to have better numbers.”

On April 30, the Rams added another experienced transfer into the mix with the commitment of Dom Jones. 

A 6-foot-3, 197-pound safety with 41 games of previous experience at North Dakota State, Jones comes to Fort Collins having already spent four years in a winning program. He will have two years of eligibility to play at CSU.

After playing one game and redshirting in 2019, Jones broke out with 34 total tackles, five pass breakups and three interceptions in 2020. Due to COVID-19 rules, that year did not count against his eligibility though. 

Jones is coming off of a 2022 season in which he recorded a career-high 36 total tackles as a rotational safety for the Bison. A decent amount of that production came in the FCS Playoffs, as he finished with five tackles in both their quarterfinal win over Samford and their semifinal win over UIW. 

We’ll see what type of role Jones ends up playing in the 4-2-5 scheme but considering his experience in pass coverage, he should be a good fit in the Green & Gold. You can never have too many experienced guys in your secondary. And Banks has proven to be able to get the best out of versatile DB’s.