Every year, St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) produces NCAA Division I talent and that won't change going into 2018. Junior Chase Jones will make sure of it, after putting forth a special season in 2017, where he became one of his team's go-to performers on both sides of the ball.
A 6-2, 210-pounder, Jones plays receiver on offense and box linebacker in prep's 4-3 defensive scheme. And his impact has earned him three offers -- Syracuse, Rutgers and Vanderbilt -- going into the spring evaluation period, as well as overtures from Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Boston College, UConn, Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State and Harvard.
But one school is recruiting him hardest of all.
Syracuse may have been first to offer, but the Scarlet Knights are making as big of an effort as any school.
"It's probably Rutgers (recruiting me the hardest). Definitely Rutgers, yeah," Jones told NJ.com. "It's a great school. They have a great business program and that's what I'm looking to major in. So they are definitely high on my list right now."
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Coaches Bill Busch from Rutgers and John Wholley from UConn are the two specific coaches he has the strongest bonds with at the moment.
Although Jones has no particular school in the lead, one school keeps coming up.
"I'm gonna take all my visits. I'm gonna try to get down to most of these schools that I'm really interested in over spring break," Jones said. "And I'm going to junior day actually at Rutgers this Sunday, so that should be good. It'll be my first time on campus and seeing the facilities and everything like that, so that should be a good experience."
But what does Jones seek in a school?
"Just definitely overall comfort. When I go there, I think I'll know which school is home for me," he said. "So a relationship with the coaches definitely is big. And overall comfort with the academics, athletics, the coaching staff, location, everything like that."
Jones lives in Warren, New Jersey -- 45 minutes away from prep, where he commutes daily. However, his home is one of many stops throughout his young life.
"I moved around a lot when I was younger," he said. "I was born Virginia. Then I lived in New Jersey for a little while, moved back to Virginia, then moved out to California on the west coast before moving back to Virginia. So I've been all over the place, really."
However, Jones moved back to New Jersey the summer prior to entering seventh grade, and has been here ever since. But will his N.J. ties, ultimately, keep him home?
"I'm comfortable with anything, really," he said. "It's just how I feel on campus. I'm not gonna be homesick I don't think. So going far away won't be a big deal. But I also like the area, as well. So, we'll see."
Jones projects to a number of positions in college, but is getting most of his attention at linebacker.
"Most schools are offering me as a linebacker. Some schools are saying that they want to see what I grow into," said Jones, whose father is 6-foot-5. "But I'm pretty sure I'll be playing linebacker at the next level."
Luckily, Jones has no preference as to what he'll play.
"I just like to play football, to be honest. I like to be out there making plays," he said. "I love playing both sides of the ball and being on the field as much as possible. It doesn't matter to me what position I play."
Jones feels that being a "student of the game," is what separates him from most from other players at his position.
"I'm not afraid to sit down and watch a few hours of film and get really familiar with my opponent, and the schemes that they run," he said.
Jones has taken a number of unofficial visits up to this point, despite only being a junior.
"I went to the Rutgers versus Maryland game at Rutgers. I went to one of the Penn State games at Penn State," he said. "And in the spring, we went to the Temple and Rutgers spring games."
But there is much more he hopes to see this spring before making his pick sometime this year.
"I'm going to Rutgers this Sunday for their junior day, and the following weekend I'll be going to Syracuse for their junior day, also," he said.
In 2017, Jones accumulated 87 tackles, two interceptions, a sack, 3.5 tackles for loss, five hurries and 526 receiving yards and five TDs on 39 catches, en route to a 9-3 record and Non-public, Group 4 finals berth.
The two-way standout carries a 3.79 grade point average and plans to major in business. His brother, Mitchell, who played two years at prep, is a freshman football player at Cornell.
Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TodderickHunt. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.