Will Jones II Named To Jason Witten Man of the Year Watch List
9/30/2025 1:12:00 PM | Football
Award Given To Nation’s Top Leader In College Football
DALLAS – UNT Football senior safety Will Jones II was named to the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List on Tuesday. The annual award is given to a student-athlete who demonstrates exceptional leadership both on and off the field.
Jones was one of 67 DI college football players named to the watch list and one of just five representing the American Conference. This is the ninth year of the award. Last year Kentucky's J.J. Weaver earned the honor.
Off the field Jones II volunteers a lot of his time in the Denton community especially with children. He attends local Snack and Serve events. He makes birthday cards for kids in local foster care. He has assisted Denton ISD in encouraging kids to read and volunteers with the VISTA program that is focused on helping kids with disabilities. He also has spent time at local children's hospitals, aiming to help kids with cancer.
On the field the senior has helped revolutionized a Mean Green defense that has led UNT to its first 5-0 start since 1959. North Texas currently ranks second in the nation in turnovers gained and ninth in the nation in interceptions. Jones II has started all five games at safety and has forced a fumble and recovered a fumble to go along with 21 total tackles so far on the year.
The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport, served as one of football's most prominent role models during his 16-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly's Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.
Twenty semifinalists will be selected by the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Tuesday, October 14 and three finalists will be announced on Monday, Dec. 15. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.
The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year receives a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 16 years. The foundation operates its nationally recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states.
For more information on UNT Football tickets, contact the Mean Green Ticket Office at 940-565-2527 or at ticketoffice@unt.edu. Fans can visit the UNT Athletics Ticket Office located at Gate 2 of DATCU Stadium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Jones was one of 67 DI college football players named to the watch list and one of just five representing the American Conference. This is the ninth year of the award. Last year Kentucky's J.J. Weaver earned the honor.
Off the field Jones II volunteers a lot of his time in the Denton community especially with children. He attends local Snack and Serve events. He makes birthday cards for kids in local foster care. He has assisted Denton ISD in encouraging kids to read and volunteers with the VISTA program that is focused on helping kids with disabilities. He also has spent time at local children's hospitals, aiming to help kids with cancer.
On the field the senior has helped revolutionized a Mean Green defense that has led UNT to its first 5-0 start since 1959. North Texas currently ranks second in the nation in turnovers gained and ninth in the nation in interceptions. Jones II has started all five games at safety and has forced a fumble and recovered a fumble to go along with 21 total tackles so far on the year.
The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport, served as one of football's most prominent role models during his 16-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly's Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.
Twenty semifinalists will be selected by the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Tuesday, October 14 and three finalists will be announced on Monday, Dec. 15. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.
The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year receives a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten's SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 16 years. The foundation operates its nationally recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states.
For more information on UNT Football tickets, contact the Mean Green Ticket Office at 940-565-2527 or at ticketoffice@unt.edu. Fans can visit the UNT Athletics Ticket Office located at Gate 2 of DATCU Stadium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
-- GMG --
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