Add Matt Jones to the list of UF football players leaving Florida early for the NFL Draft.
The junior tailback will forgo his senior season and take the opportunity to go pro, according to multiple media reports.
GatorCountry.com was the first to report Jones’ decision, citing multiple sources.
Jones hinted at the possibility of leaving for the NFL Draft on his Twitter account (@mattjonesrb) when he posted "Closer To My Dream..!!" followed by an emoji on Nov. 19 — four days following Florida’s 23-20 overtime loss to South Carolina and three days after the school announced that Will Muschamp would not return next season as the Gators’ head coach.
Jones is the third Florida player to leave school early in favor of the NFL Draft, joining fellow juniors Dante Fowler Jr. and Tyler Moore.
Jones finished the regular season with a team-leading 817 rushing yards to go along with six rushing touchdowns. Both of those numbers are career highs.
Jones recorded three games this season with at least 100 rushing yards — including rushing for a career-high 192 yards in Florida’s 38-20 upset win against then-No. 11 Georgia on Nov. 1.
With Jones looking to go pro, Kelvin Taylor will look to receive the bulk of the touches in the backfield come next season.
The sophomore running back split reps with Jones this season and still managed to accrue 565 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Taylor proved during his freshman year that he is capable of taking the load.
Last season, after Jones was ruled out for the season with a meniscus tear suffered against LSU, Taylor started four of the final six games of the season and rushed for 410 yards and four touchdowns during that span.
Joining Taylor in Florida’s backfield next season are junior Mark Herndon, true freshman Brandon Powell and redshirt freshman Adam Lane, and all three have shown they have the potential for playing time.
Powell has seen the most action among the three this season. The Deerfield Beach, Florida, native has a combined 197 yards of offense on 28 touches this season.
Herndon’s 2014 season was cut short after tearing his ACL on a kickoff return during Florida’s 42-21 loss to Alabama on Sept. 27. His lone highlight of the season was an 80-yard catch-and-run touchdown from quarterback Treon Harris during the fourth quarter of Florida’s season opener against Eastern Michigan.
Lane had a breakout performance during Florida’s Orange & Blue spring game, rushing for a team-high 67 yards on 12 carries and catching three passes for 12 yards.
But the Winter Haven, Florida, native has been used sparingly this season because of the depth of the running back position this season. On the season, he has eight carries for 72 yards.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
UF running back Matt Jones carries the ball during Florida's 36-30 triple-overtime win against Kentucky on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
