He's probably not named after Bill Clinton, but he's young enough that he could have been. Doesn't that make you feel old?
#84 WR Clinton Jones
Freshman, 5'9", 142 lbs.
Stats in 2010: Played for Ely High School in Pompano Beach. According to this YouTube highlight video, he had 47 catches for 703 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Current Spot On Depth Chart: Not listed among eight wide receivers.
How He Got To USF: Via the same walk-on audition that yielded the previously featured John Toston, and 14 other players, many of whom will be replaced on the roster by incoming freshman recruits.
Recruiting Ranks: According to what appears to be his own page on a social networking website for high school athletes, he got offers from I-AA schools, but really wanted a scholarship from USF. (Suck on that, Seth "no one dreams of being a South Florida Bull" Greenberg.), Jones didn't get that scholarship offer from USF, but chose to take his chances as a walk-on. It's not an unprecedented path: Stephen Bravo-Brown, pictured above, walked on at receiver last year and was a contributor.
And I really shouldn't have to say this, but: if you view that page, for cryin' out loud, don't use the "give gift" button. What idiot made a networking website for high school athletes with a built-in "give gift" feature? Listing "football scholarship to USF" as a personal goal makes me want to buy him a steak dinner, but the NCAA has strict rules against that sort of thing. As you may have heard.
Projected Playing Time in 2011: As a freshman walk-on at what is now a deep position, it's pretty much nil. But Jones has four years of eligibility after 2011, so he might stick after a year or two. Or, as often happens with not-quite I-A prospects who take their chances walking on, he could transfer to a lower-division school later on. But there's always a place in USF football for an overachiever.