Caden Jones is a name to know - and has the coolest story in high school sports

Credit: AllIn Elite AAU basketball

Hamilton, OH/Irvine, CA - Once upon a time, the idea of a "multi-sport athlete" was a commonality in sports, with no one thinking twice about a kid jumping from the gridiron in the fall, to the hardwood in the winter and diamond in the spring.

But with specialization and professionalization of youth sports, the multi-sport athlete has gone the way of the mid-range jumper or ground and pound football: Essentially non-existent.

At least until this weekend, where one high school sophomore is trying to keep the tradition alive - and has his most extreme (and fun) challenge ahead in the coming days.

Meet Caden Jones.

On the surface he will be like one of thousands of other high school basketball players this weekend, doing his best to impress college coaches at the first "live period" of the summer - meaning its the first time that college coaches can be in the gym to see high school prospects. He'll be playing with AllIn Elite on the Under Armour circuit in Hamilton, Ohio this weekend.

Having just started his sophomore summer he already holds seven offers in basketball, including Georgia out of the SEC. With strong play this summer more are sure to come.

The difference is that when Jones isn't on the hardwood, he is also one of the highest-ranked quarterbacks in the class of 2027 - holding over 50 offers from schools like Georgia, Michigan, LSU and Oklahoma. The most recent came from Wisconsin just this week.

And yes, Georgia has already offered him in both.

What makes the story even cooler though, is what he's about to attempt - to play in showcase events for both sports this weekend, on two different coasts. On Thursday night he flew out to Ohio for the Under Armour basketball event, yet late Friday night he'll fly back to Los Angeles for the high profile Dana Hills Air Strike High School 7on7 event first thing Saturday morning. He'll then get back on a plane and compete in Ohio with All In Elite on Sunday afternoon.

It's a lot of travel for a high school sophomore, but a challenge he's willing to take on to be by the side of his teammates on both sports. It's also a personal sacrifice in his own right, as he - and the college coaches recruiting him - know that he's just scratching the surface of his potential on both sports because he has yet to solely focus on one.

But when asked on Thursday why he choses to do it Thursday, he gave us a very simple answer. He loves to compete. When asked which sport is his favorite, his answer too was simple.

"During Football season I love football, during basketball season I love basketball," Jones said.

And that's what makes his future so fascinating as the goal is to play both as long as he can at as high a level as he can.

Given that he already holds power conference offers in both sports (including a dual football/basketball offer from Georgia) he might not have to decide any time soon.

You can follow Caden's journey on Twitter - @CadenJonesss1