Originally posted by krizay:
Some may forget that the pandemic didn't allow for him usage last year.
Lundgren, a Navy linebacker who played with Jones at Bolles High School, has been training with his old teammate this spring as the two look to stay in shape amid the restrictions caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Working at Jones' house, the two are taking advantage of a makeshift workout space on the quarterback's back porch where he has set up a full squat and power clean platform needed to adequately perform Alabama's rigorous lift program.
Despite the change in environment, Jones hasn't let his new surroundings alter his typical routine. The redshirt junior participates in Alabama's full-body workouts four times a week. He runs the property and has access to a treadmill and Peloton bike for cardio work. His family even has a weekly delivery company that provides fresh, organic foods to help him maintain a healthy diet provided to him by team nutritionist Amy Bragg.
Jones is doing everything he can to make the most of quarantine life, and its showing. The 6-foot-2 quarterback is now up to 212 pounds, up seven pounds from his listed weight on Alabama's current online roster.
"He doesn't even look like the same person from when we were growing up," Lundgren says with a laugh. "Obviously he's grown height, but he's put on a lot of weight. And it's good weight, too. It's all muscle. He's really starting to fill out and look like a Division I quarterback. He's obviously playing like one."
Earlier this month, Nick Saban broke down film of Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow for the ESPN+ series "Detail." The Alabama head coach isn't the only member of the Crimson Tide who has studied the reigning Heisman Trophy winner this offseason.
According to Lundgren, Jones has used Burrow as inspiration the past few months as he looks to improve on his ability to extend plays in the pocket. Last season, the now No. 1 overall pick led the nation with a 71.4 completion percentage on dropbacks in which he took 2.5 seconds or more to deliver the ball, according to Pro Football Focus.
"We had both been talking about how he's been able to extend plays or break through arm tackles in the pocket to make throws," Lundgren said. "That's really something that Mac has been working on, especially lifting weights to get that lower-body strength and mobility to be able to break through an arm tackle in the pocket and extend that play."
To Jones' credit, he performed generally well on extended plays last year. Among quarterbacks with at least 150 dropbacks, he ranked tied for No. 20 with a 58.8 completion percentage on passes which took 2.5 or more seconds to develop. Still, that's a far dip from his 74.4 percent completion rate on throws made in fewer than 2.5 seconds.
By comparison, Burrow completed 81.1 percent of his quick throws while dropping down less than 10 percent on extended throws. A big part what makes the LSU quarterback successful is the power he generates with his feet. The 6-foot-3, 221-pounder is not only able to break through arm tackles in the pocket, but he also generates that driving momentum into his downfield passes.
This spring, Jones has worked to develop similar explosiveness in his lower body, religiously following the weight program sent to him by Alabama strength and conditioning coaches David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea. So far, the results have been noticeable.
"He has done an amazing job of every single day trying to replicate what he was doing at Alabama," said Denny Thompson, the owner of 6 Points, a quarterback training facility in Jacksonville. "Some of our guys don't look quite as chiseled as when they first walked in a month ago. Mac's actually gotten stronger. He is very disciplined about his workouts Alabama sent him. He looks fantastic."
Thompson, who has been working Jones this offseason, describes the quarterback as "twitchy" and says his athleticism is often underrated. The two have been working on harnessing the right-hander's added lower-body strength and translating it into big plays. The biggest focus has been on footwork in order to position Jones for throws after evading tackles.
While he isn't thought of as a scrambler, Jones also has the ability to make plays with his feet. A former Wing-T quarterback in high school, he flashed that mobility during last season's Iron Bowl, ducking past defenders before dashing 18 yards down the field on a fourth-and-7 to extend Alabama's final drive.
With gyms and facilities shutdown along with team facilities, the student-athletes found themselves a bit limited with what was at their disposal.
found a way to work around the hardship by coming up with a routine on his own and committing to it while also building his own gym.
"Mac put together his own little gym at the house and he worked out on a very regular schedule like he always does," his father Gordon Jones said during an appearance on "In My Own Words". "He put together his playbook, studied his plays, worked out, ate, and slept and that's pretty much all he did.
Jones even went a step further by inviting his friend who was training to be a navy seal to help push him to reach his goals.
Good find.
I think Mac is the pick. I think he's athletic enough for Kyles system. I think Fields and Lance out-athlete Mac, no problem. But Kyles whole system is based in the pocket or designed outside the pocket plays. Very little adlibbing or off schedule passes are needed because I think Kyle's built in outlet and hot routs on every play.