The expansion of the Big Ten to 18 teams has had an unexpected upside for local high school prospects.
West Coast teams rarely recruited the Chicago area before, let alone signed anyone from the Big Ten’s traditional footprint. But in the transfer-portal era, in which high school players sometimes have a harder time finding a college home, they now have more options in the West.
Case in point: Mount Carmel junior defensive lineman Braeden Jones, who recently committed to USC. He’s the second high-profile local commitment for a Los Angeles school after Hersey senior quarterback Colton Gumino picked UCLA.
The Trojans were one of the first Power Four schools to recruit Jones, offering him a scholarship in May.
‘‘Ever since then, I’ve been building a relationship,’’ he said. ‘‘This is the school I’ve talked to the most. When I went there, it felt like home to me.’’
Among other things, the 6-4, 250-pound Jones wasn’t really attracted to some of the more rural campuses he saw.
‘‘I grew up in South Shore; now I live downtown,’’ Jones said. ‘‘I definitely see myself in a bigger city. That definitely played a part.’’
He could afford to be choosy. A four-star prospect, Jones had about two dozen scholarship offers, including eight from the SEC and seven from the Big Ten, plus Notre Dame. Tennessee, Mississippi, Auburn, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio State were just a few of his options.
That’s no surprise, given that he’s rated fifth among Illinois juniors, 15th among defensive linemen and 146th overall nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings.
National recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove is bullish on Jones’ prospects.
‘‘He just has so much upside,’’ Cosgrove said. ‘‘The physical gifts are ridiculous. . . . He’s got that raw athleticism.’’
And Jones is projectable beyond college.
‘‘He’s got early-round draft potential,’’ Cosgrove said.
Some prospects find the recruiting process stressful, given the stakes of making the right decision and the constant flow of communication from recruiters. But Jones took it in stride.
‘‘It was always good to see new campuses, especially in states I haven’t been to before,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a good problem to have.’’
Playing in an elite college program would be the next step in a journey that began when Jones started playing football as a 5-year-old.
‘‘This is a lifelong thing,’’ he said. ‘‘My dream was to go to the NFL.’’
Jones started out as an offensive lineman, playing center, guard and tackle. But he moved across the line in eighth grade and loves it.
‘‘To me, it’s an art form,’’ he said. ‘‘When I play defense, I try to freestyle and make moves. Defense wins championships.’’
He’s also a good enough athlete that he played baseball at a high level, including for a White Sox Amateur City Elite team that won a national championship. Jones, a first baseman and designated hitter, stopped playing baseball in part because he was recovering from a torn meniscus.
Baseball skills — speed, agility, hand-eye coordination — also helped him on the football field. Plus, he said, ‘‘It kept me in shape all year long.’’
Jones said he misses playing baseball. But with a future this bright in football, he’s focused on that with no regrets.