Notre Dame football has their eyes set on the next elite shutdown cornerback coming out of a very important recruiting area

Notre Dame has their eye on the next big cover corner coming from the Sunshine State.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman greets his players during a Notre Dame football spring practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in South Bend.

While Notre Dame football fans are still accepting the loss of elite defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, there is still a lot to be excited about heading into the 2026 college football season. Even without Mickens, the secondary should be an elite group led by the likes of Leonard Moore, Adon Shuler, and Tae Johnson, as well as transfer addition DJ McKinney. Head coach Marcus Freeman and defensive coordinator Chris Ash have a chance to have the best Fighting Irish defense that we have seen in several years.

The first test for whoever becomes the new secondary coach is to maintain what Mickens was doing, and potentially put his unique spin on it. The next step will be for him to show that he can recruit at a high level. While Mickens was a great coach and developer of talent, it can’t be understated just how well he recruited over the last few years. Bringing in top talent will be a major priority.

Even while we wait for the next defensive backs coach, Notre Dame is busy pushing for top cornerbacks, including one that just finished up his freshman season (yes, you read that correctly. Earlier this week, the Irish staff extended an offer to 2029 Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna cornerback Derrick Jones Jr., a player who is viewed as a future elite cover man. The talent pops the minute you put on his film.

Will Notre Dame be a serious player for Jones? Based on the film and the area he comes from, one can only hope, but who knows what will happen. Regardless of whether the Irish eventually grab Jones, this is an elite talent that you don’t want to be late on. Notre Dame has been late to the party too often in the past, and Jones is not going to fit into that description.

Derrick Jones Jr.’s recruiting background 

As a 2029 recruit, Jones hasn’t been ranked by any of the major recruiting platforms quite yet. Due to his amount of talent and the evolving offer list that he boasts, you can bet that the Florida native will be well thought of when those rankings do come. Some of Jones’s top offers so far include the Fighting Irish, Florida, Miami, Florida State, and UCF. That list will continue to expand throughout the offseason.

Despite playing on a really talented Chaminade-Madonna team, Jones managed to earn a substantial role as a freshman. In the 13 games that he played, the 6-1, 170-pound cover man collected 20 total tackles, two interceptions, and 10 pass breakups. Jones also made one reception for four yards on the offensive side of the football, but it’s expected that he will get more opportunities on offense as a sophomore. 

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