Despite growing up a huge Notre Dame fan and the son of an Irish legend, Julius Jones Jr., has never been to South Bend.
“My dad always said to save it for a special moment because of the mystique of the campus and just everything about it,” Jones Jr., says.
“He told me to save it and wait, so now I've got a good reason to go.”
Indeed he does.
The 2027 Florida receiver landed an offer from Notre Dame as part of the Irish’s Pot of Gold Day push on St. Patrick’s Day.
“It's something I've been looking forward to since I was little because I've grown up around Notre Dame Football,” says Jones, whose father set multiple records as an Irish running back, including rushing yards in a game (262) and all-purpose yards for a career (5,372).
“Just being around it, it was kind of like a milestone that I've been waiting to achieve and feeling that and getting that feeling is really something special.”
Jones Jr., had some conversations with Irish receivers coach Mike Brown leading up to the offer and was thrilled when it came.
“I always grew up knowing that people either love or hate Notre Dame, so I had to choose a side and I chose a side,” he says. “I love it.
“My first game actually was that Notre Dame versus Miami game a while back (2017) and I left in tears, so that was pretty bad. But I ended up going to the Penn State-Notre Dame game this year. I had a great time and it was good. If I were to vote for a team, I would vote for Notre Dame. It's just my favorite team really and something I really care for. I have a lot of love for Notre Dame.”
Jones and Brown have formed a strong relationship early.
“He's great,” Jones says of Brown. “He's really cool. He's a cool guy. He's down on earth. He's easy to talk to and he knows a lot. He knows what he's talking about, so whenever I talk to him, I have a great conversation. I always leave learning something. I hope to keep building my relationship with him.”
The St. Thomas Aquinas star and Brown are working out dates to get him up to South Bend soon.
“I'm supposed to get up there sometime, maybe in April, just to go around and see campus, see how their practice goes and try to figure out my decision,” said Jones, who also has offers from schools like Florida State, Miami, LSU, Tennessee, Penn State, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Oregon among several others.
“There are a lot of colleges that have their own special feeling and Notre Dame is one that you can't really replicate or get anywhere else. So just going to that campus and being around there is definitely something that is going to feel amazing.”
He hasn’t taken many college visits so far outside of a few with his 7-on-7 team and doesn’t have any others locked in just yet.
He’s obviously heard plenty about Notre Dame from his father.
“He said that it's great,” says Jones. “It's a great way to build connections and just meet all different types of people and just everybody. There are so many different groups around and people who you'll meet who will help you in the long run with business or just great friends.
“He still hangs out with Jim Molinaro. He still hangs out with all of them and just being around all the Notre Dame teammates and his friends that he's made over there, it's just a really good environment. It's great to be around.”
He knows what he’s going to be looking for when it comes time to choose a school.
“There are a lot of factors; going to a school that's really a football school, where you can feel the fans cheering for you and just being on your side,” he says. “Also, what happens after football. What that degree will carry for me in the long run because someday football has got to end. The weight of that degree and how good the education at school is is going to be something great.
“And also feeling more than wanted, feeling needed. It is great to feel wanted by every school, but being needed is really the main thing for me.”
Jones is aware of the recent sons of Notre Dame stars returning to South Bend like Bryce Young, Jerome Bettis Jr., and James Flanigan.
“Having all those other guys over there with the legacies and following in their father's footsteps, it'd be something cool.
“As a kid you always look up to your father, everything he does, you try to replicate. Being able to have that chance to actually step up and do what he did is something really great as well.”
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