If Notre Dame was nursing its wounds after losing the recruiting battle for offensive lineman Layton Von Brandt, it may not have to recover very long. Just an hour after Von Brandt chose the Auburn Tigers over the Fighting Irish, Marcus Freeman and Co. took another step towards landing legacy wide receiver recruit Julius Jones Jr.
On Monday morning, On3's Steve Wiltfong entered an official prediction for the Fighting Irish for the son of the former Golden Domer running back turned NFL star, Julius Jones. While the squad from South Bend has long been considered the frontrunner, Wiltfong's prediction could mean that the 4-star pass-catcher is about to name his school fo choice.
As a legacy recruit for Notre Dame, Jones is a very important 2027 target overall. Beyond his familiar name, Jones also possesses tremendous upside as a wide receiver, including home-run speed and the ability to make big plays after the catch. Notre Dame continues to battle Oregon for the talented pass catcher, but they are very much the leader right now, even more so with the prediction from Wiltfong.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound WR is in the class of 2027, and if he lands at Notre Dame, he could be a huge help to a team that has been working to improve its passing game.
Whiparound: New predictions in favor of Auburn, Georgia, Michigan and Notre Dame. Also projected a top target to Ole Miss. Latest regarding Oregon.
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) May 18, 2026
Story: https://t.co/HBlq18xszz pic.twitter.com/q2KukovEen
Julius Jones Jr. could help Notre Dame football rebound quickly from its Auburn miss
The top-100 prospect according to both 247Sports and On3 is considered among the Top 15 wide receivers in the class and the top 15 players in the state of Florida by both services in this cycle. Despite being from the Sunshine State, the local schools there appear to be running a distant third and fourth as the Gators and Hurricanes are still trailing the Fighting Irish and the Ducks.
Jones does plan to take at least three official visits this summer, though there is some question about which school is getting which date. What is clear is that Miami, Notre Dame, and Oregon look like the final three, even if the legacy prospect hasn't made that official.
The multi-sport athlete who also excels in track has all the tools to be an impact player at the next level. He's an impressively speedy slot receiver who is on the smaller size, but he's still got the confidence to fight defenders for the ball in one-on-one situations.
He pairs that speed with elite route running and great hands. When Jones manages to get separation from a defender, he's a sure bet to make the catch, and he's always a threat to take it to the house. Jones has shown his grit in more ways than one as he's also served plenty of time on special teams and seems to love blocking. That's a huge boon for a team like Notre Dame that will never really go away from a pounding running game.
It's not entirely clear when Julius Jones Jr will pull the trigger on his commitment, but at this point, it would be a pretty major swing and major surprise if he doesn't eventually follow his dad to Notre Dame.
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