Notre Dame football dominates the race for top defensive line prospect
The Notre Dame football team generated quite a bit of excitement when it staged its Pot of Gold Day push. The school sent out dozens of offers, mostly to 2026 prospects on St. Patrick's Day. Among the players that are on record as being quite excited about the Fighting Irish push for commitments from the 2026 class is one particular defensive lineman who has made no mistake about his love for what Marcus Freeman and company have to offer.
Even among prospects who have voiced excitement about a Notre Dame football offer, defensive lineman Braeden Jones stands out. Jones stands out because he's not playing the game of hiding what he really feels. He's not playing coy.
In a conversation with Irish Sports Daily, Jones left no room for doubt-the Fighting Irish are at the forefront of his choices.
"They’re definitely No. 1," said Jones. "SEC schools are great, but Notre Dame is still a prestigious school and makes a bunch of great defensive linemen. I just love it there."
Among the schools vying for Jones' attention, some SEC powerhouses like Ole Miss, Florida, Auburn, and Tennessee are in the mix. However, there are also offers from non-SEC schools such as Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Purdue.
He doesn't yet have an offer from Georgia or Alabama. One has to wonder if his lack of interest in SEC might change if the biggies come calling. And they could very easily come calling.
Jones is a 4-star prospect in the 2026 class and, according to 247Sports, the third-ranked player in the state of Illinois for the class.
Anyone who thinks Jones' comments could hint at a commitment to Notre Dame football anytime soon is going to be disappointed. He made it clear he's going to take his time, even if he does have that clear number one school.
"Not as of right now," Jones said of the chances of committing in the near future. "I’m going to keep letting them come. If I get something I like, then maybe, if I don’t, then Notre Dame and the SEC schools are up top for me."