2025 LB Marco Jones Raves About First Notre Dame Visit

2025 San Ramon Valley (Calif.) linebacker Marco Jones‍ hadn’t been to Notre Dame, but he had high expectations for his first trip to South Bend given the Fighting Irish were hosting Ohio State last weekend. 

Following the trip, Jones was still buzzing from what he experienced at Notre Dame despite the loss to the Buckeyes. 

“It was great,” Jones told ISD. “The atmosphere was incredible. All the coaches were great and I had a great time with my mom and grandma. They had a really good time and we really enjoyed our time there.” 

Notre Dame also impressed his mother and grandma in a number of ways during the trip. 

“They were excited and impressed with everything we saw at Notre Dame from the fan atmosphere, fan experience and how beautiful the campus was,” stated Jones. “It was impressive from one end to the other at Notre Dame.” 

The four-star prospect knew the atmosphere inside Notre Dame Stadium was going to be crazy with a top 10 showdown, but he wasn’t prepared for what he saw. 

Notre Dame’s students had packed the student section prior to warmups and made sure to carry that energy throughout the entire night to create a special night.

“I definitely was expecting it to be a crazy environment, but not like that,” said Jones. “I’ve never really been to a game like that before. It was awesome. I’ve never been in an environment with over 40,000-50,000 people there. It was loud the whole game every single second. It was great.” 

During the game, Jones had a close eye on the Notre Dame defense and came away impressed with the job Al Golden’s guys did on an explosive Ohio State defense. 

“Notre Dame is a legit defense, especially the secondary,” explained Jones. “They shut down Ohio State’s receivers pretty much the whole game. That was impressive. It’s hard to do that with two potential first-round draft picks on the other team. 

“It just showed me how legit the defense really is and how much Notre Dame’s defensive coaches really know and attack different offenses.” 

And yes, it was important for Jones to see not only how he’d fit into Al Golden’s defense, but also that Notre Dame’s players performed at a high level against another great team. 

“For me as a defensive guy, you want to go somewhere that has a solid defense and good defensive minds as coaches,” stated Jones. “Once you get to college football, most places have really good coaches. Knowing I’d be developed wherever I end up going would be nice.” 

On the recruiting side of the visit, the California native was able to have conversations with Golden, Max Bullough, Marcus Freeman, Chad Bowden and Caleb Davis.

Bullough and Golden have been in regular communication with the San Ramon Valley star, so it was simply good to put a face to a name. 

“I’ve talked with them over the phone numerous times, so it’s been great,” Jones explained. “It showed me how good of a defensive staff they really are. They’re both really good at their jobs and good coaches. They’re also just really good people. It was great talking with them.” 

Freeman also left Jones with good vibes as the two were able to meet face-to-face. 

“It was really cool,” said Jones. “He’s a popular guy, to say the least. It was a cool experience. There were a lot of people at my school saying you got to meet Marcus Freeman and how that was cool. It was cool outside of the football perspective to meet him and cool to think he wants me at Notre Dame.” 

Jones also saw a good fit with Notre Dame’s 2024 and 2025 commits who were on campus. He was able to see like-minded kids his age, but also grow relationships he already had established. 

“I actually knew a few guys, Logan Saldate and Deuce Knight,” stated Jones. “I was chopping it up with them for a good amount of time. Deuce is quite the recruiter. Knowing some of those guys helps a lot and I feel I fit in well with that group.” 

As for a return visit, Jones plans to return to South Bend in the future as hopes to learn more about the Notre Dame program. 

“I would love to get out there again whether it’s for an official visit, another game next year or a Junior Day,” said Jones. “I’d love to get out there. I definitely would want to bring my dad on the next one and maybe my other grandma, too. That’d be nice to get them out there.” 

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