Toward the end of spring practice this past April, Michigan State’s Jairus Jones suffered a torn Achilles tendon. At the time, it was thought that the defensive back could very well miss the entire 2011 season.
Two months into his rehab, such talk could -- could -- be a thing of the past.
In a development that MSU head coach Mark Dantonio labeled as “amazing”, the Detroit Free Press is reporting that there’s a chance Jones sees the field at some point this season. It’s unclear whether Jones will be physically able to participate, even on a limited basis, at the start of summer camp, or if he’d be available for the season opener in September.
It’s also uncertain and far from guaranteed that the initial prognosis won’t be correct in the end, but there are certainly encouraging signs coming out of East Lansing when it comes to Jones’ availability for at least a portion of the season.
Jones, who was listed as the starter at strong safety on MSU’s pre-spring depth chart, played in 12 games last season as a redshirt freshman. He was a three-star member of the Spartans’ 2009 recruiting class.