Jones flips to Gophers

Donovahn Jones committed to Missouri back in September as an athlete.

Donovahn Jones will be a Gopher.

But in his heart, he always saw himself as a quarterback.

"He's always played that position," said Terry Herrod, the assistant head coach at Jones' school, Hampton (Ga.) Dutchtown.

Now, it appears Jones will play it in college, too.

On Tuesday, he de-committed from the Tigers and committed to Minnesota.

"There were a few reasons -- No. 1 the opportunity to play quarterback," Herrod said. "To get that opportunity at a BCS school in the Big Ten was important to him."

The 6-feet-2, 195-pound Jones also has grown close with the Gophers coaching staff.

"The running backs coach, Brian Anderson, grew up with his father in Illinois," Herrod said. "They're from the same town. Also, he went on a visit there, and Coach [Jerry] Kill spent six hours with him that day. That made a huge impression on him."

In the end, "it's was a tough decision," Herrod said. "He really loved Missouri."

Jones carries a three-star rating in the 247Composite.

Here's a look at the 2013 MINNESOTA COMMIT LIST