Jones headed to OU; Augustus to Memphis

Longtime teammates Mykel Jones and Nehemiah Augustus already were well known throughout the Patterson community for their athletic endeavors before they came to Patterson High School four years ago as the duo had dominated youth sports leagues in both football and basketball.
“Everyone knew those kids were special athletes, and both were expected to come over here (Patterson High) and have immediate impacts on their sides of the ball,” Patterson assistant football coach C.L. Grogan said. “And they did just that, and this is their reward for all of those years of hard work and dedication on and off the field.”
Jones and Augustus both seemed relieved after signing national letters of intent Wednesday to play college football.
Jones, a 6-foot, 185-pound wide receiver rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com and a National 300 member by Scout.com, signed with the University of Oklahoma.
He was an All-District 8-3A first-team selection as a senior, catching 27 passes for 441 yards and six touchdowns. He had 10 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown, too, despite missing playing time because of injury.
“This has been a long, tough, stressful process,” Jones said. “It’s the biggest decision I had to make by myself. My family let me make that decision and said they would support me in whatever decision I made.”
Jones’ list of schools he had narrowed his field to before the season didn’t include the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, so naturally he shocked the audience with his selection Wednesday.
“Oklahoma had been on me for a while, but my dream, like many others in this area, was to play in the SEC,” he said. “But once I went to Norman to visit last week and I thought about how much more the Big 12 throws the football, I just had to do what I thought was best for me.”
The Sooners offense is led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, widely considered a Heisman Trophy candidate in 2016-17.
Augustus, a 6-foot, 205-pound safety, chose Memphis. He had a monster senior season, raking in many honors, including the District 8-3A Defensive Most Valuable Player. He also was an All-District 8-3A First Team return specialist and defensive back.
Augustus also was a Louisiana Football Coaches Association first-team all-state selection as a defensive back, and he also nabbed Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 3A All-State honorable mention honors.
“I’m going to tell you straight, a lot of schools didn’t think I was going to get my test score, so they slowed everything down (the recruiting process),” Augustus said. “But Coach (Mike) Norvell at Memphis believed in me, and I got my score. I told all those schools not to waste their time coming back at me after I made my score. I was going to Memphis.”
Augustus had 88 total tackles (52 solo and 36 assists) last season. He had five tackles for a loss of nine yards, including two sacks. He forced two fumbles, broke up 11 passes, intercepted six passes and had one defensive touchdown.
“Everybody can’t play in the SEC,” Augustus stressed. “But I know I have SEC talent, and I thank God and family for this opportunity.”