Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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54 PRESEASON 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER It may have been expected by many that Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star wide receiver Julius Jones Jr. would follow in his father's footsteps and play for the Fighting Irish, but it didn't come without opposition from other top programs. He did announce his commitment to Marcus Freeman's program on "The Pat McAfee Show" June 22, giving the Irish a major boost to their 2027 class. Jones has been Notre Dame's top receiver target since he was offered in March 2025, and the Irish staff — led by wide receivers coach Mike Brown — worked hard to earn his commitment. He visited campus three times, includ- ing the Texas A&M game last Septem- ber and junior day in March 2026. The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder was in town June 19-21 for an official visit. Jones committed to Notre Dame over Miami, the local program that recruited him hard since his freshman year. He also held offers from Oregon, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Ohio State and many others. "The biggest thing that led me to pick Notre Dame was the real feeling of love, trust and belief in me," Jones told Rivals' Hayes Fawcett about his commitment. "I feel 110 percent that it is the right place for me." Jones is a Notre Dame legacy — his father, Julius Jones Sr., was a running back for the Irish a couple decades ago. Many may think Jones was a lock for the Irish due to that, and while that gave Notre Dame a built-in advantage, the staff had to do a great job recruiting the No. 16 wide receiver and No. 84 overall player nationally per Rivals. And they did. "Ever since I first came into contact with the coaching staff, I had an imme- diate feeling of true belief," Jones said. "They also made it extremely clear that they recruited me for my skill and the type of person I am, not just because of my father playing there. "The things he's done and the records he set at Notre Dame are the reasons that I love Notre Dame as a school. The way that I was recruited and the plans they have for me are the reason I will play for Notre Dame." Jones became Notre Dame's second wide receiver commitment of the 2027 class, joining Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Valor Christian's Jackson Coleman, a Rivals' three-star recruit. "There's only one Notre Dame," Jones said. "And the mystique of it has always been something that I've been most aware of. Not just from my father, but seeing it, watching them play and un- derstanding the culture that they have. And also the weight of the degree." Jones' younger brother Andre is a class of 2028 three-star defensive back. Moments after Jones announced his pledge on the ESPN program, Andre also committed to the Fighting Irish over Florida State, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Texas A&M, UCLA and others. During his team's Florida 5A state championship-winning season in 2025, Jones posted 58 receptions for 876 yards with 14 touchdowns across 15 games. St. Thomas Aquinas also won the 5A Florida state championship during his sophomore and freshman seasons as well. He was named to the 2025 Max- Preps Junior All-America first team and the 2025 All-Broward first team. Jones has been a key member of the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders' last two Flor- ida 5A state championship teams. St. Thomas Aquinas finished as the No. 8 team in America and No. 2 in Florida in 2025, according to the Massey Ratings. He led St. Thomas Aquinas in receiv- ing as a sophomore with 51 catches for 750 yards (14.7 yards per catch) and 6 touchdowns in 2024. During his high school career, he has hauled in 120 passes for 1,843 yards and 22 touchdowns. In March 2026, Jones recorded a per- sonal-best 10.52 in the 100-meter race. He participated in the 2026 Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando in January and was a top performer dur- ing the week of practice. He was also Ri- vals' MVP of the Under Armour Future 50 event in June 2025. The elder Jones starred at Notre Dame in the early 2000s, rushing for 3,018 yards and accounting for 27 touch- downs. He was a second-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2004 draft and played several years in the league. His uncle is Thomas Jones, an All- America running back for Virginia in 1999 who went on to play in the NFL from 2000-11. He ran for 10,591 yards and accounted for 71 touchdowns dur- ing his NFL career. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE JULIUS JONES JR. Fighting Irish Land Legacy Recruit, Speedy Playmaker FILM ANALYSIS "Julius Jones has the body type of a slot receiver but has the skill set of a guy who can play on the outside. He's a long strider, is able to eat up cushions with his releases and speed off the line of scrimmage, and he's a nuanced route runner. Jones can run a variety of routes; he won't be a one-trick pony with what you ask him to do in your offense." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power Jones, the son of former Irish star running back Julius Jones Sr., is ranked as the No. 16 wide receiver and No. 84 overall player in the country by Rivals. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY