Top recruit Jones keeping everyone in the dark; more

At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, wideout Julio Jones already has the body to make an impact at the college level. Chris Livingston/Icon SMI

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You're about to read something extremely rare. Maybe not Gutenberg Bible rare, but close. It's an actual quote from Foley (Ala.) High receiver Julio Jones. And much like a Gutenberg Bible, this quote has a little dust on it.

"I'm going to take some official visits and stuff," Jones told SI.com after the Under Armour All-American game Jan. 5. "I'll go out and see what I like, what I feel comfortable with."

That, in a nutshell, was Jones' plan for January and the first weekend of February. Expecting more? Don't. The nation's top receiver prospect and his camp have shrouded his recruiting process in secrecy. Even the hard-working reporters at Rivals.com -- who probably could sweet-talk Condoleezza Rice into giving up the president's cell number -- hadn't posted an update on Jones since Jan. 8 until the Oklahoma site SoonerScoop published a brief interview Monday about Jones' visit to Oklahoma with Foley teammate Robert Lester. "I don't know why [Jones] has been so quiet," Foley coach Todd Watson said Monday, "other than he's a quiet person."

Jones declines most interviews, and his trusted advisors provide information on a need-to-know basis. For example, Watson disputed a since-retracted report in the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun that Jones was sent home early from Florida because he was recruiting for Oklahoma. The report, which caused a minor meltdown among Alabama fans, was wrong. Jones wasn't sent home early, and he wasn't pitching the Sooners. Watson bumped into Florida co-defensive coordinator Charlie Strong last week at a coaches' conference, and Watson said Strong was equally upset at the report.

Eyewitnesses have provided news of Jones' whereabouts. He was spotted at the Florida-Kentucky basketball game in Gainesville on Jan. 19. Sunday, he was spotted at the Oklahoma-Georgia women's basketball game, confirming an official visit to Norman, Okla. That means Jones has visited Alabama (Dec. 7), Florida State (Jan. 9), Florida and Oklahoma. That leaves one more weekend before national signing day to take one more visit. So where is Jones headed? Nowhere, Watson said. Jones has narrowed his choice to four finalists.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Jones intends to announce his decision on Signing Day, and if he and his camp can keep the news a secret until that time, the big reveal may shut down every office in the South, or at least every one in his home state. Alabama fans are counting on Jones to be the crown jewel of the recruiting class they think will bring them back to glory. Meanwhile, in the Sunshine State, Florida fans envision Jones lining up opposite Percy Harvin, while FSU fans would consider Jones' signing proof the Seminoles have rebounded after a dark period. Oklahoma fans dream of Jones catching passes from Sam Bradford.

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