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Jones flips to Iowa

All it took for Amani Jones to be sold on the University of Iowa was one visit to the new practice facility.
On Friday, Jones made his way from Chicago to Iowa City for the first day of the Hawkeye Tailgater. He had obligations back home on Saturday, so he could only stay for the first day, but that was all it took for the 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker to switch his verbal commitment from Illinois to Iowa.
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"Wow, it was amazing," Jones said on Saturday evening. "They really wowed me on the visit. The coaches were great to me and the new facility was great. The rest of the guys on the team and the other guys they had in for the event were really friendly."
Jones had been thinking long and hard about Iowa for some time. He made a verbal commitment to Illinois back in April, but the Iowa coaches, led by his lead recruiter Brian Ferentz, kept on him and got him to make the visit that sealed the deal.
"Coach Brian Ferentz, the head coach's son, was my lead recruiter and he and I have developed a really good relationship. He kept telling me to come out for a visit and that I would like it. I had been to Iowa once in my life, but never to the University of Iowa," Jones said. "All the way back home and all day today I kept thinking about this decision and I made the call tonight."
Iowa linebacker coach Jim Reid also played a role in his decision, Jones said. Reid spent time with Jones on his visit and says he is penciled in at middle linebacker once he arrives on campus.
Prior to his verbal commitment to Illinois in April, the Chicago Phillips prep standout held offers from Iowa, Indiana, and several MAC schools. He said making the call to the Illinois coaching staff tonight was a tough one.
"That was really hard because I like those guys a lot, but I just felt like this was the right decision for me."
Jones, who is a three star prospect according to Rivals.com, says his recruitment is now finished and has no intention of looking at other schools.
"This is it," he said. "I feel very good about my decision tonight."
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