Quindarrius Jones has wasted no time becoming a disruptive force for Florida State, and now the senior cornerback gets his toughest test yet.
FSU heads to Tuscaloosa on Saturday for a rematch with No. 10 Alabama, and Jones will be right in the middle of the matchup after two games packed with impact plays. He has already accounted for two of the Seminoles’ five takeaways, with his first career interception coming on New Mexico State’s opening drive and a forced fumble that he also recovered on SMU’s opening possession.
That kind of timing matters just as much as the production. Jones has helped Florida State steal momentum right away in back-to-back games, and his work has been a big part of why the Seminoles’ five takeaways lead the ACC and rank ninth nationally. The four forced against SMU were also Florida State’s most in a game since 2022.
Through 89 defensive snaps, including 54 in coverage, Jones has posted a 74.8 overall defensive grade, fourth among FSU defenders with at least 50 snaps. His coverage grade, though, sits at 62.6.
Opponents have completed only three of seven passes thrown his way, but those completions have gone for 89 yards, with 79 of them coming on a touchdown against SMU. Outside of that one explosive play, Jones has given up just 10 receiving yards on the other six targets.
That’s where Saturday gets interesting.
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell has thrown for 444 yards through two games, and the Crimson Tide have already shown they can stress a defense vertically. They’ve completed 35 of 48 receiver targets for 448 yards, and four different Alabama players have reached at least 40 receiving yards.
Ryan Coleman-Williams is the headliner. The receiver formerly known as Ryan Williams has nine catches on 15 targets for 173 yards, which works out to 19.2 yards per reception.
His yardage total is nearly twice as high as Alabama’s next-leading receiver, and he’s added 70 yards after the catch. Lotzeir Brooks has seven receptions for 77 yards, Derek Meadows has three catches for 44 yards, and Marshall Pritchett has chipped in three grabs for 27 yards.
Coleman-Williams is the matchup that could put Jones under the microscope. Alabama moves him around, so the two won’t line up on every snap, but PFF has Coleman-Williams with 58 of his 69 receiving snaps aligned wide, which makes a Jones matchup likely.
There’s also a bit of history here. Alabama went after Jones plenty in last season’s 31-17 FSU win, and he finished that game with a tackle for loss and a pass breakup but also a 42.3 overall grade.
Jones has already shown he can take the ball away. He’s also already seen how quickly one big play can change the look of a stat line. Against Coleman-Williams and Alabama, keeping the explosive plays in check while still hunting turnovers may be one of Florida State’s biggest defensive priorities on Saturday.
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The stakes are straightforward for a Seminoles team still looking for steadier play this season: compete cleanly, protect the ball and get impact snaps from the players most capable of swinging the game. Florida State already knows what it looks like to beat Alabama, and the challenge now is proving those flashes were not a one-off while these three try to make their presence felt against one of the sport's toughest opponents. [Read more 🡒]