Notre Dame football received a massive commitment on Monday from 2027 Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Julius Jones Jr., who has been a priority for the Fighting Irish in the 2027 recruiting class for a very long time. Head coach Marcus Freeman and Co. have been leading for several months, even while programs like Oregon and Miami have done their best to pull an upset. The Irish were able to get this one done and continue their push for an elite overall class.

With Jones now in the class for Notre Dame, the team only has a few remaining players left on the board to try to complete this historic 2027 class. On offense, there really is only one player left to know: Elite Lake Charles (La.) Sam Houston offensive lineman Albert Simien, who also took an official visit to South Bend this offseason. Simien is the missing piece for what should be a very good offensive class.

On defense, there are several more 2027 targets to keep a close eye on. That includes defensive linemen Segun Alexander, Brayden Parks, and Tyler Alexander. Notre Dame also continues to push for star linebacker Roman Igwebuike, as well as current Texas defensive back commit Karnell “Greedy” James.

As of today, those are the remaining top talents to know for Notre Dame, but it’ll be interesting to see if they expand the board at a couple of positions down the road.

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.