Tank Jones reveals why he chose Oregon over Alabama
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Anthony ‘Tank’ Jones handed Dan Lanning a massive out-of-state recruiting victory on Thursday, spurning Alabama and committing to start his college career at Oregon. The Mobile, Alabama, edge rusher was one of the Crimson Tide’s top targets, rated the No. 18 player in the country by 247Sports Composite.
Jones was one of the Ducks’ priority recruits in the 2026 cycle. So why did he choose to play for them instead of staying close to home and suiting up for the Crimson Tide?
“(Oregon defensive coordinator) Tosh Lupoi and Dan Lanning, I know they can develop me to the next level (due to) the history of them having a lot of edge rushers in the league. I feel like they can get me to the next level in an NFL scheme.”
Jones added that he had built a “great” relationship with the Oregon staff during his recruitment.
“It’s a great place for me,” he said. “I know it’s unique, it’s different. I know it’s going to be far away but it’s somewhere I can grow (so) I can be a better person, a better man. I feel like they’ll prepare me for life.”
Alabama still has the No. 4 class in the country according to 247Sports’ recruiting rankings. But losing an in-state target like Jones won’t do much to silence criticism of Kalen DeBoer among Tide fans. And although DeBoer was 3-0 against Lanning and the Ducks at Washington, this is a key loss on the recruiting trail.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
