Last weekend was a great one for Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) junior Zack Jones . On Saturday, the 5’11”, 200-pound wide receiver/defensive back/returner helped the Tigers to a 47-21 win over Centreville in the Group AAA, Division 6 state championship game (held in Scott Stadium). Shortly thereafter he learned that he had received his first scholarship offer, from the University of Virginia.

“He’s excited,” Tigers head coach Richard Morgan said when asked for Jones’ reaction to the offer from the Cavaliers. “It’s an easy fit and a good fit. Zack without doubt is the best wide receiver in Virginia. What I want Zack to focus on is to make sure he is where he needs to be grade-wise, so when the offers come in and college coaches seriously look at grades, they’ll surely be committed to him. But he was excited [about the Virginia offer]. He didn’t get to play as a sophomore, so colleges didn’t know about him. The type of year he had, they’ll know about him. He’s happy and impressed with Virginia. He loves Virginia, it’s a great fit, but he’s keeping his options open.”

Perry Jones , Zack’s older brother, is one of Virginia’s premier offensive players. Should Zack decide for UVa, he probably would not play alongside his brother, who will be a senior in 2012. Still, Morgan does see an advantage and acknowledges that UVa may have a head start for the standout junior as a result.

“I think the biggest advantage it gives you is you get the truth from your brother,” Morgan said. “Perry can tell Zack for real how the coaches are there. I think that’s the real advantage. You get the real inside information on how it really is there. Perry loves it there and he loves Coach London. But Zack’s his own person and he may want to carve out a new path. You never know.”

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