Ball-hawking safety who found his best football in his final Clemson year — six interceptions and three breakups over 12 games in 2025, a takeaway spike from a former top-10-at-position recruit now stepping into a Vanderbilt starting job. The pick production reads as genuine cover instinct and ball-tracking, and the 4-star pedigree gives the ceiling real height. However, this is a developmental grade with a wide band — the six-interception year sits on a modest overall body of work, and the projection to 2028 reflects a player who needs to show it's range and instincts, not a run of well-timed breaks. A high-ceiling cover defender with takeaway production worth tracking; the floor is fringe, the ceiling is a genuine riser if the ball skills hold.

• Sports Illustrated Nov 30, 2025

  Ricardo Jones Etches Name Into Palmetto Bowl History With Defensive Performance - Sports Illustrated
• Sports Illustrated Aug 19, 2025

  Clemson Tigers Safety Ricardo Jones's Key to Breakout Year: 'Stay Hungry' - Sports Illustrated