Marcus Jones earns All-AAC and All-American honors

Marcus Jones has been turning heads since he was an All-State player at Enterprise High School and that has continued at the University of Houston were he was recently named to the 2020 first-team All-AAC team, as well as Pro Football Focus All American.

Despite Houston playing just seven games in the 2020 regular season – and Jones playing in just six of those – he still led the entire nation with 317 punt return yards and one touchdown. He averaged 21 yards per return. The 317 yards is an American Athletic Conference record.

Jones didn’t earn all-conference honors as a cornerback but he was the fourth highest graded defensive back in the entire country, according to Pro Football Focus.

PFF also named Jones first-team All-AAC cornerback and a third-team All-American cornerback. PFF also named him first-team All-AAC cornerback, as well.

Jones recorded 23 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, one interception and four pass breakups on defense, while also returning five kickoffs for 102 yards.

Jones started his college career at Troy where he earned Freshman All American honors as a kick returner and then earned All American honors as kick returner as a sophomore and All-Sun Belt honors as both a specialist and defensive back.

After former Troy coach Neal Brown left to accept the head coaching position at West Virginia, Jones transferred to Houston.

Jones was a star football and basketball player at Enterprise High School before becoming a star in college. He earned first-team all-state honors as a senior and was a member of The Southeast Sun/Daleville Sun-Courier Elite 11. Jones will return to Houston for his senior season in 2021, but first the Cougars will play Hawaii in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 24.