With two minutes remaining in the 2018 Texas Bowl, Baylor found themselves tied 38-38 with Vanderbilt. Ten seconds later, Marques Jones caught a pass from Charlie Brewer and ran it into the end zone. Jones's career-high 52-yard touchdown reception gave the Bears their first Texas Bowl victory in school history.
 
This season, Jones is entering his final year of NCAA eligibility at Baylor and completing his master's in electrical and computer engineering while maintaining a 3.98 GPA. He was recently honored as the top engineering student overall within the Rogers School of Engineering and Computer Science and offered a summer internship at Tesla, Inc.
 
Before Baylor, he attended McKinney High School outside Dallas and played safety for the Lions. The two-year letterwinner was team captain his senior year and named to the Academic All-State Elite team.
 
In April of 2015, he was awarded the Black Knight scholarship and recognized as a High School Scholar-Athlete by the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter at its annual awards banquet. The Black Knight scholarship is an award funded by Scott Beaty, former Army football player, retired U.S. Army Colonel and NFF Dallas Chapter board member.
 
Jones graduated from McKinney High School as an AP Scholar with a 4.0 GPA in June 2015 and decided to continue his education in Waco, Texas, and pursue a future in engineering. He walked on to the Baylor football team that fall, yet didn't see playing time until 2017 when he made his first career start against Oklahoma State.
 
Although busy balancing the demands of football and academics, he continued to thrive in the classroom. He was named to the Spring 2017 4.0 Club and the Spring 2017 Dean's List. Meanwhile, on the field he was developing as a wide receiver. At the end of fall camp in 2018, he had earned a football scholarship.
 
Last season, Jones started in seven games as wide receiver and recorded 242 yards, most notably the go-ahead reception in the Texas Bowl. Off the field, he collected the Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award from the Big 12 and was named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team in both 2017 and 2018.
 
"Whether or not you're a walk-on, that's how you got to college," Baylor head coach Matt Rhule said of Jones during Big 12 Media Days at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. "Who are you now? He's an elite caliber student. He won the award for best engineering student. He took a two-year scholarship with the United States Navy to conduct research, and he wants to work for Tesla one day."
 
Headed into his final season as a Bear, the 6'2", 204-pound senior has earned his Baylor jersey, his undergraduate degree, master's degree and secured a post-graduation game plan as a Naval researcher.
 
"I want him to change the world, and I also want him to think of himself as a great football player," said Rhule. "He represents our program the right way."