Tramell Jones threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns but it wasn’t nearly enough as Miami Columbus defeated Jacksonville Mandarin 38-19 on Friday afternoon in the Class 4M state title game at Florida A&M’s Bragg Stadium.
Jones, a 2025 Florida State quarterback commitment, completed 19 of 27 passes, including touchdown passes of 30 yards and 15 yards to Jaime Ffrench. An Alabama commitment, Ffrench was targeted 10 times and caught seven passes for 101 yards.
While Mandarin struggled early with a few three-and-outs, Jones found his rhythm and benefitted from a short field late in the first quarter. Jones and Mandarin drove 57 yards on four plays, ending with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Ffrench.
In the third quarter, Mandarin had another short field. The 6-foot-1 Jones hit Ffrench near the sideline, and the receiver cut back, weaving his way through a few defenders for the 30-yard TD as Mandarin cut Columbus’ lead to 28-19.
Mandarin trailed most of the day but couldn’t close the deficit against Columbus. Dual threat quarterback Alberto Mendoza completed 6 of 10 passes for 149 yards while running for 138 yards on 20 carries for Columbus.
Jones didn’t run all that often, and he was sacked four times. One time, he eluded a defender who had two arms around him for a potential sack before slipping away and rolling left to find an open receiver. He also showed good accuracy while on the run, especially considering he is a high school junior with a full season in front of him in 2024.
Scouting report
Osceola football / recruiting analyst Patrick Burnham: "Jones looked sharp for the most part. Showed good accuracy, leads his receivers well. Very good throwing on rollout situations. Was accurate rolling to his left, which can be difficult for right-handed quarterbacks. Throws with nice touch. Has a good arm but his arm strength is not elite. Is mobile and can buy time with his feet/legs but wants to throw the ball. From a mobility standpoint, probably more like Brock Glenn than Jordan Travis. Of course, very few quarterbacks possess the lateral movement, quickness and change of direction that Travis does."
Osceola recruiting analyst Charles Fishbein: "Jones really does a good job of squaring his shoulders and throwing the ball. He anticipates well. He does a good job of throwing receivers open. He does tend to stare down receivers. He needs to learn how to use his eyes to move defenders. I feel he can be a very good quarterback at the next level. He is not someone that can play right away. Overall a very good prospect that will need to sit and learn right away."
Video highlights of Jones
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