Notre Dame football is predicted to land a versatile defender with Fighting Irish ties following a massive OV weekend
Notre Dame is trending with multiple top 2027 recruits following a big OV weekend. There could also be some good news for the 2028 class.
Notre Dame football is fresh off another fantastic official visitor weekend. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish are carrying a lot of momentum for what could be an elite 2027 recruiting class. While the 2027 class is the priority right now, there was some interesting 2028 movement over the weekend, as well.
The Irish staff hosted top-100 2027 Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Julius Jones Jr., who is set to make his college decision on Monday afternoon. Accompanying the talented wideout was his younger brother, 2028 Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas safety Andre Jones, an early key target for the 2028 class. It appears that the younger Jones also had a tremendous return trip to South Bend.
Rivals’ national recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong has logged an expert prediction for Jones to land with the Fighting Irish. With most believing that good news is coming on Monday from his older brother, the attention could shortly shift to the talented safety. Notre Dame is positioning itself in a great spot.
Julius Jones was an outstanding running back for Notre Dame in the early 2000s. That background has given Freeman and Co. the chance to get in a great early position with both of his talented sons. The younger Jones is worth keeping a close eye on moving forward, especially heading into a huge junior season with St. Thomas Aquinas.
Andre Jones’s recruiting background
When Jones was offered a couple of months ago, he had not yet been rated by any of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Jones is now rated as a four-star, the No. 315 overall player, the No. 29 safety, and the No. 45 player from the state of Florida for the 2028 recruiting class. Those rankings continue to trend upward.
Some of Jones’s top offers thus far include the Fighting Irish, Oregon, Texas A&M, Penn State, Indiana, Florida State, Kentucky, Pitt, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, UCLA, Purdue, Oregon State, and Cal, among others. You can expect many more teams to join that group over the next several months, especially during what should be a huge junior season.
As a sophomore in 2025, Jones put together a strong season for St. Thomas Aquinas. In 13 games, the 6-0, 170-pound defensive back managed to collect 37 total tackles, an interception, and four pass breakups.
As a part of one of the top defenses in the country last season, Jones played all over the place, including at safety, in the slot, in the box, and even some at outside cornerback. His versatility is a huge selling point to any program. It’s one of the major reasons why Notre Dame values him heavily early on.