Notre Dame football is set to kick off its official visits this weekend, where head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish will host several of the team’s top remaining 2027 recruiting targets. That includes Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas star wide receiver Julius Jones Jr., a legacy recruit who has been a priority for quite some time.

Heading into that return to South Bend this weekend, things appear to be in a great spot between Notre Dame and Jones. The Florida native, however, is coming off official visits to Miami and Oregon during the last two weekends. After this trip, Jones also has a visit scheduled to Florida for the following weekend. Shortly after, Jones is set to commit on June 27.

This upcoming OV will be massive for the Irish staff to close this recruitment out. Here is the latest heading into a big weekend.

The latest with Jones and Notre Dame’s push

Make no mistake about it: This is Notre Dame’s recruitment to lose heading into the official visit. Oregon has done a good job in this recruitment, and for a while, they managed to keep pace with the Irish. Miami also did a solid job, while the Florida Gators are probably in fourth place right now.

With Notre Dame just holding a commitment from 2027 Littleton (Co.) Valor Christian wide receiver Jackson Coleman, the team desperately needs to find a stud in their wide receiver class. That is the role that Jones can play in the class. The Irish staff has treated him as a priority from the very beginning, and this weekend could go a long way towards solidifying everything.

Julius Jones Jr.’s recruiting background

Jones is considered an outstanding recruit by the 247Sports Composite ranking. He sits as the No. 72 overall player, the No. 12 wide receiver, and the No. 8 player in the state of Florida for the 2027 recruiting class. We are talking about a potentially elite player from a hotbed of talent, and a legacy player to make things even better.

Even at a young age, Jones has attracted the attention of some outstanding programs. That has only increased after a stellar junior year. Some of his top offers so far include the Fighting Irish, LSU, Ole Miss, Miami, Florida, Penn State, Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida State, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Washington, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Colorado, NC State, UCLA, Syracuse, and Purdue, among many others.

On an extremely talented and deep St. Thomas Aquinas team, Jones became the top option at a younger age. In 13 games as a sophomore in 2024, Jones hauled in 51 receptions for 750 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 14.7 yards per catch despite playing against some of the best competition in the entire country.

In 14 games this past season, the junior hauled in 58 receptions for 876 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 5-11, 175-pound pass catcher led the team in each category, and by a wide margin. Jones had also increased his yards per catch average to 15.1, showing the ability to create a ton of big plays.