Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2016 RECRUITING ISSUE BY ANDREW IVINS Jonathan Jones knows how much dif- ference an inch or two can make in re- cruiting. The Orlando (Fla.) Oak Ridge three-star linebacker said the spring be- fore his senior season he was called out of class almost every day by a college assistant coach, and they all wanted to know the same thing –– was he really 6-2 or was he 6-0? The answer was closer to the latter, but that didn't scare Notre Dame as- sistant coach Autry Denson away the day he sized up Jones. It actually did the opposite. Denson, who recruits Flor- ida for the Irish, began asking coaches and teachers at Oak Ridge about Jones –– a speedy linebacker that dominated on film –– and he quickly realized that the rising senior was going to be a fit at Notre Dame despite not having the normal mesurables. "Leadership-wise and intellect-wise, he's Joe Schmidt," Denson said. "That's who he is, and it's a heck of a compli- ment. Athletically, he's off the charts. He loves contact, and he was playing against top level competition." While Denson's vote of confidence certainly piqued Jones' interest in the Irish, that wasn't the only reason why he picked Notre Dame over Michigan on National Signing Day. It was instead Undersized LB Jonathan Jones Is An Undervalued Addition The 6-0, 200-pound Jones is rated as the 19th-best inside linebacker nationally by Rivals, but the Irish coaches believe they are getting a steal. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS