But the light show between the third and fourth quarters may have been the defining moment for the 2025 Omaha Westside four-star linebacker. He enjoyed the stadium bathed in red and felt the noise and excitement of the crowd. He wanted to join the Huskers and he told some coaches that on Saturday night.

On Monday, he informed NU head coach Matt Rhule of the good news. The state’s top junior player chose Nebraska over second-place Oklahoma, which had lobbied hard for Jones’s signing.

“Coach Rhule is building a very special culture down there that I want to be a part of,” Jones said Monday night after announcing his decision on social media. “When I watched the game Saturday night and that atmosphere, I just felt like my heart wanted to be there. It was the defining moment – my gut and my heart telling me to stay home.”

“I want to be part of Tony White’s defensive system and be coached by Rob Dvoracek.”

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Jones, widely considered a four-star player, will be the 19th overall pick.^th Commitment to the class of 2025 and sixth commitment from the state of Nebraska. Jones, who is generally considered a four-star player, was able to choose the best schools during the recruiting process – including OU, Auburn and USC.

The Sooners took second place for Jones’ services. OU has been successful in recruiting players from the state – tight ends Kaden Helms (Bellevue West) and Kade McIntyre (Fremont Bergan) – and Jones was seriously considering the SEC program.

Nebraska beat Oklahoma in the recruiting battle, Jones said, in part because he had “a great relationship” with both White and Dvoracek.

“Coach White keeps you on your toes,” Jones said. “He’s very aggressive and very smart and he uses everyone to the best of his ability. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

But he recruited the Huskers this season because he wanted to evaluate the first few games — particularly the game against Colorado. The Blackshirts pressured CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders, leading to five sacks, and held the Buffaloes scoreless in the first half.

“I wanted to see if Coach Rhule was really capable of building a team and a culture like that, and that’s exactly what he did,” Jones said. “You can tell the players are playing for each other and not for themselves, and they play harder. Everyone has a different demeanor, and it’s very easy to notice.”

Jones plans to enroll at NU in January and be ready for spring camp in 2025. He is expected to play inside linebacker, the position currently played by Mikai Gbayor, Javin Wright and John Bullock.

Before then, he hopes to lead Westside to another state title.

“It’s a long road to get there,” Jones said of the Warriors’ season, which started 2-0. “We still have a lot of work to do.”