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Stan Becton | NCAA.com | February 9, 2025

Chris Jones: College football career, stats, highlights, records

The most successful walk-ons in recent college football history

Before Chris Jones terrorized NFL backfields with the Kansas City Chiefs, he got his start at his home state school, Mississippi State.

Here's more on Jones's college career.

The vitals on Chris Jones

School: Mississippi State
Position: Defensive lineman
Height: 6-6
Weight: 308 pounds
Years active: 2013-2015

Here are Jones' career stats in college.

YEAR GAMES SOLO TKL AST TKL TOTAL TFL SACKS PD
2013 13 17 15 32 7 3 3
2014 13 9 17 26 3.5 3 2
2015 13 16 28 44 7.5 2.5 4
Career 39 42 60 102 18 8.5 9

Chris Jones, a native of Houston, Miss., signed with Mississippi State over a list of offers that included Alabama, Ole Miss and more, per 247Sports.

What kind of prospect was Jones in high school?

Chris Jones was a five-star defensive end at Houston High School in Houston, Miss. He was rated as high as the second-best player in the country, depending on the recruiting service, and the No. 1 player in Mississippi in the class of 2013.

Jones was a dual-sport athlete in high school starring in football and basketball. On the court, Jones averaged 14.8 points as a junior and was named to the Mississippi North/South All-Star Basketball Game in 2011. On the gridiron, Jones led Houston High to its first-ever playoff win and an 11-3 record in his final season. He finished his senior year with 160 tackles, 14 sacks 10 pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and a 74-yard interception return for a touchdown. Jones also played in the Under Armour All-American game and the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic, earning Mississippi MVP honors in the latter.

What was Jones' record in college?

Jones and Mississippi State finished a combined 26-13 during his career. Jones advanced to a bowl game all three seasons where he finished 2-1, losing in his lone New Year's Six appearance in the 2014 Orange Bowl.

Which awards did Jones win in college?

Here are the awards and honors Jones won in college:

  • Second-Team All-American by Pro Football Focus (2015)
  • Freshman All-American by Bleacher Report, Athlon Sports and 247Sports (2013)
  • All-SEC Honorable Mention (2013)

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