Jones Is Ready To Go

It’s starting to hit Micah Jones‍, but the 2018 Notre Dame wide receiver commit isn’t having any second thoughts about his decision to graduate from Warren Township High School early and enroll at Notre Dame next month.

“Just sitting around and looking around my neighborhood, it’s really hitting me that I leave really soon,” the Illinois native told Irish Sports Daily. “I feel like it’s a big step for me, but I’ll be able to do it. I have so many people to help me around here. I think they’re all proud of me and that’s all I can ask for. It’s my time to move on.

“It’s a really excited thing to think about. I’ve been watching Notre Dame Football since I was little back in the day. To be able to be in the locker room and be with the team, it’s going to be a really exciting thing for me. To be able to take advantage of learning the playbook and lifting with the team early and maybe starting my first year would be a great experience for me.”

The 6-foot-5, 195-pounder, who will complete his finals in a couple of weeks, believes getting to South Bend early will benefit him on and off the field.

“First of all, getting my degree faster,” Jones said. “I could get my degree in three or three and a half years, which would be great, so I could start working on my Masters and stuff like that.

“On top of that, getting down there quicker to lift with the team and get used to what the team expects from you. Also, getting in the playbook quicker. I expect to try to play my first year as a freshman and get some time, so it’s really a great place for me to be.”

Jones, who has been committed to Notre Dame since February, hosted wide receivers coach Del Alexander on an in-home visit last week.

“We talked a lot about early enrolling and what to expect when I get down there,” he said. “The things I would need to have. He talked a lot with my mom about a lot of those things.

“He told me when all of the workouts start and stuff like that. We went over all of that and he talked about how he’d send me some DVDs to get me immersed in the playbook as quickly as possible.”

Jones was grateful for the chance to meet with his future position coach in a relaxed setting.

“It was great to be able to sit back, eat some food and talk about some things,” he said. “Not even football things, just on-campus things and stuff like that. It was great.

“It was great to be able to kick back and chill with him.”

Jones will get one last visit to campus in this weekend before moving to South Bend for good the second week of January.

“It’s more for my parents and my family,” he said of his upcoming official visit for Notre Dame’s Echoes banquet weekend. “I know we have a lot of meetings we have to go to as a family. My mom has been to Notre Dame, but she’s never been on a tour or stuff like that.

“She’ll be able to look at the dorms and stuff like that and see what I need for college. It’s more for my family and parents than anything. I’ve been down there so many times and talked with the coaches and everything I need to do.”

Jones will officially sign with the Irish during the first early signing period just as he wraps up his finals. He’s looking forward to hanging out with fellow commits like Shayne Simon, Jayson Ademilola, Justin Ademilola, Ja’mion Franklin, Cole Mabry and George Takacs who will also be taking officials this weekend, and will also try to get some recruiting in on any uncommitted targets on campus, including cornerback Kyler Gordon, offensive lineman Luke Jones, defensive end Malik Langham and especially one-time Irish commit Braden Lenzy.

“We’ll try to link up with the uncommitted guys who are visiting and try to get them to sway toward Notre Dame. We’ll hang out together of course, but we’ll definitely try to include the uncommitted guys as well.”