UT signee Chris Jones to play at Florida junior college

By Jason Smith, Memphis Commercial Appeal

Tennessee signee Chris Jones will play for former Vols assistant coach Steve Forbes at Northwest Florida State College this fall, Melrose High coach Jermaine Johnson said Wednesday.

Forbes, hired as head coach at Northwest Florida this month, was let go as an assistant at Tennessee in March following an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations by former Vols head coach Bruce Pearl. Forbes was in Memphis on Wednesday.

Jones (5-10, 180), whom Rivals.com rates the No. 39 overall prospect in the Class of 2011, had asked for his release from Tennessee after Pearl and his staff were let go last month. However, newly hired Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin apparently convinced Jones earlier this month to follow through on his commitment to Tennessee, saying Jones no longer wanted his release.

Still, questions remained whether Jones would qualify academically to play at Tennessee.

Johnson said Jones, who attended two prep schools in North Carolina last season before re-enrolling at Melrose last month, would benefit from playing under Forbes at Northwest Florida, formely known as Okaloosa-Walton Community College. Forbes was heavily involved in Tennessee's recruitment of Jones.

"He can concentrate on gettting better mentally and physically," Johnson said.