Built in the Dark: Darrien Jones Stayed, Waited, and Now He's Ready to Run

Some guys take the long road to their first carry. Darrien Jones took the hard one.

The Kansas City native came to UNLV in 2023 as a late addition — a three-star running back with over 2,400 total yards in high school, All-Metro honors, and no spotlight. He didn’t redshirt by design. He redshirted because there wasn’t room. He didn’t sit in 2024 because he wanted to; he sat because others played. But through it all, he stayed.

"I was willing to bet on myself," Jones said during our interview. "The JUCO route was there, but I knew I could play. I knew I was a D1 football player."

That bet is about to pay off.

Jones didn’t blow up in recruiting until his senior year at Park Hill South. By the time UNLV came calling, he’d already been left hanging by others.

“I had a few FCS offers, a few PWOs, but I waited too long,” he said. “UNLV hit me right after the first signing day — Coach Petrino texted me — and once I saw Allegiant and talked to the staff, I knew. I wanted to play here.”

That desire didn’t fade, even when the depth chart said otherwise. Jones redshirted in 2023, sat again in 2024, and was honest about what that grind felt like.

“I didn’t feel appreciated,” he admitted. “There were times I thought about leaving. I even had my highlights pinned on my Twitter. But then Coach Q sat me down, told me he believed in me, and that flipped a switch. I hadn’t heard that in a long time.”

The conversation and the respect that came with it kept him in Vegas. “He told me he watched my practice film, my scrimmages, everything. That’s all I needed to hear.”

Jones enters the 2025 season as the only back in the RB room without a stat, but that might be the most misleading stat on the roster.

He’s 6’0”, 215 pounds, with soft hands and a patient burst. He doesn’t run like his size. He doesn’t move like a back who’s waited two years. And this spring, something clicked.

“You can’t keep talent like his hidden much longer,” I told him during the interview. He smiled. “It just takes one play,” he said. “One play to get your confidence, and everything else follows.”

Jones credits his growth to a stronger grasp of pre-snap reads and a more refined open-field game. “In high school, I just outran people,” he said. “Now, I’m setting guys up, making people miss, reading receiver blocks. Coach Q really drilled into us — you can know where the play’s going before the snap. That changed everything.”

He’s also not afraid to tell you what happens if he finds the end zone.

“I might cry, man,” he laughed. “I’ve been doing the Cam Newton Superman celebration since I was a kid. When that first one hits? It’s going to mean everything.”

UNLV’s running back room might be the deepest on the roster. Between veterans like Keyvone Lee, Jet Thomas, and Utah transfer Jaylon Glover, there’s no shortage of talent. But Jones fits in with them, not behind them.

“We all bring something different,” he said. “I’m a big guy who can make you miss. Glover’s smaller, but it runs through you. Jet hits the edge, and he’s gone. Key ties it all together.”

More importantly, Jones said, the competition is healthy. “There’s a standard in that room. Doesn’t matter if you’re rotating with the ones or the threes — we hold each other to it. No one tears anyone down. It’s love.”

The conversation took a turn off the field, and that’s where Jones really came alive. His guilty pleasure?

“McDonald’s,” he said, laughing. “I go so much the manager shouts, ‘Hey DJ!’ when I walk in.”

Favorite spots in Vegas? Volcano Grill and Lefty J’s. “Lefty J’s shows crazy love to our team,” he said. “And that Volcano Burrito with the yum yum sauce? Life-changing.”

But don’t get it twisted, he’s still repping KC hard.

“KC BBQ is better than Texas BBQ,” he said without hesitation. “Whoever says it’s not is lying.”

His guilty pleasure movie is Revenge of the Sith. His favorite show? Naruto, which he’s watched through five times. And his dream NIL deal? A partnership with PlayStation or Xbox. “I pick up games fast. I’d love to voice act or be in one of them.”

Jones’s goals for 2025 are clear:

That third one hits hardest.

“One bad coaching experience can rip that from you,” he said. “But it’s coming back. And when I finally get to show who I am on the field? That’s going to be everything.”

He’s not asking for hype. He’s not asking for headlines. Just a chance. And if he gets it, UNLV might find itself with another weapon — one that’s been built in the dark.

“UNLV fans?” he said. “Just remember — I’ve got three years left. And if I get my shot, you’re in good hands.”

Watch the full interview with Darrien Jones now on The Scarlet Standard YouTube channel. Subscribe for more Rebel stories and features all summer long.