GONE BABY GONE: A.J. JONES TRANSFERRING FROM IOWA

Iowa freshman wide receiver A.J. Jones has left the football program and will transfer, according to Andrew Kulha of Iowa's 247 Sports site:

#Iowa receiver A.J. Jones will be transferring. He's a redshirt freshman this year. Hawks just fine on depth chart there.

— Andrew Kulha (@AKonSports) May 28, 2014

Jones' transfer is not exactly a shocker.  He went unlisted among six wide receivers on the spring two-deep, and is among five receivers in the same class (all of whom are getting as much or more buzz as him).  His problems were compounded by Iowa's dalliance with his brother, safety Jyaz Jones.  The younger Jones committed to Iowa early in the 2014 cycle, but was cut loose when Iowa secured the commitment of Miles Taylor in late January.

Of course, AJ Jones was never the most locked-in commit to begin with.  He committed to three different schools -- New Mexico State, Colorado State, and Iowa -- in January 2013, and it always felt like Iowa got him just because it was the last visit he took.  His brother (who is reportedly headed the JUCO route) was also pursued by Colorado State, and the two of them could resurface there in a couple of years.

Iowa was two spots over the scholarship limit after spring and remains loaded at receiver, so the loss should not hurt significantly.  And while the loss of a kid from Texas could have been a problem in past years, Iowa's recruiting in the Lone Star State has become so extensive that any damage to Iowa's reputation caused by the loss of Jones should be mitigated with the number of Texans on their way to Iowa City.