Jones played 39 games on the Wolverines’ offensive line during his five seasons at Michigan, including ten starts. Trente Jones, a former Michigan offensive tackle and recent undrafted free agency signee, was replaced on the Green Bay Packers’ reserve/retired list on Monday afternoon. If Jones returns to the NFL, the Packers will retain ownership of his rookie rights, but the decision comes less than two weeks after Jones signed with the Packers following the NFL Draft.
Jones, a 6-foot-4, 310-pounder who played tackle during his time at Michigan, shined as a reserve right tackle this past season, allowing just three quarterback pressures in 139 pass-blocking snaps. Over the course of his five seasons at Michigan, Jones appeared in 39 games along the Wolverines’ offensive line, including 10 starts. He logged 1,138 snaps in his career, predominantly at right tackle.
But, for all his time in Ann Arbor, he may be best remembered for his play in the Wolverines’ final four games of the season. When consensus All-American Zak Zinter suffered an injury in the second half of Michigan’s game against Ohio State, the team decided to move Karsen Barnhart from right tackle to right guard and bring Jones in off the bench. He helped the Wolverines finish a 30-24 victory against the Buckeyes, and he was even better in the postseason, allowing only one QB pressure in three games against Iowa, Alabama and Washington. In run blocking, Michigan averaged a healthy 278 rushing yards on 33 carries to Jones’ right or left.
After his coaches emphasized the need of offensive line depth throughout the season, Jones demonstrated its significance on college football’s greatest stages, guiding Michigan to a third consecutive Big Ten championship and a national title. “Me personally, I knew there would be a time when I had to step up,” Jones told 247Sports earlier this month. “With each day, without knowing that you might be going in and ready for it, you could get hammered. So (I prepped) and went to Ohio State, and we didn’t miss a beat. I was always aware that I could be the next man.
Jones, who turned 23 in January, was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient who graduated from Michigan with degrees in Creative Writing and Literature and a Master’s degree from the School of Social Work.
