Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/638727
2016 RECRUITING ISSUE just part of the equation. Jones said in early December that he was drawn to Notre Dame because of what the program could do for him both on and off the field. That was also the case when it came to the Wolverines, who also weren't deterred by the lack of height. "They're both just wonderful schools," Jones said. "They both offer great educa- tions, which is the No. 1 thing for me. They both are powerhouses, and the coaching staffs are great. They're almost identical. … But I just felt like Notre Dame is where God wanted me to go." Denson claims that's because Jones is the type of student-athlete that's built for Notre Dame. "He's a young man that understands academics and is a leader in his com- munity. I talked to his principal, and her comment was, 'If I had a son, I would want him to be like Jonathan,'" Den- son said. "To have a young man with character like that, that can play foot- ball on that level, those are Notre Dame student-athletes. "Whether Jonathan lives in Florida or Texas, we get that young man, because Jonathan gets us." Jones also held scholarship offers from LSU, Miami, Duke, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Ole Miss. He said that each one of those schools made a push for him at one point during the recruit- ing process, but it was Notre Dame's vision for him that made him feel like a top target despite the so-so rankings from the national recruiting services. "They say they love the way that I move and come from the edge, but I'm down to play wherever," Jones said. ✦