Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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44 OCT. 10, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER A ny parent would be proud to send one of their kids to a university as prestigious as Notre Dame, but for Julius Jones Sr. that feeling holds extra weight. The former Fighting Irish running back is sending two of his sons to his alma mater. Perhaps the most fulfilling part of it all for Jones is that he made zero effort to make that happen. It was entirely their choice. "I couldn't be prouder of the decision they made," Jones told Blue & Gold Il- lustrated. "It was their decision — not mine. We've always been fans of Notre Dame from afar, but when it was time to make a commitment, it was completely up to them. I didn't want to influence them. It was all up to them, which makes it more special. They saw the value without me having to tell them." His eldest son is Julius Jones Jr., who is the No. 10 player in Florida, and No. 16 wide receiver and No. 84 overall prospect nationally in the 2027 class. He held dozens of scholarship offers from top programs across the country before picking Notre Dame, as did his younger brother, Andre Jones, Rivals' No. 28 safety in the 2028 class. Despite the two schools having the same values, it's been more than a de- cade since Notre Dame signed a foot- ball player from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas, the nation's No. 1 high school football team entering October according to USA To- day. It's not common for the Irish to sign elite wide receivers from South Florida, either. While Jones Sr. didn't directly influ- ence his boys to pick Notre Dame, he certainly did indirectly through the val- ues he instilled in them. "We've always watched Notre Dame in the house," he said. "Any time they played in South Florida, we'd be there. The boys just felt it. They understand the dynamic of the university, and when they were in front of Coach [Marcus] Freeman and the staff and getting around campus — it did something to them." One would reasonably assume that Andre and Julius Jr. asked their father questions about Notre Dame to get the pros and cons of the program, which they could've gotten from him consid- ering he spent four years at Notre Dame. However, anyone who assumed that would be wrong. "They never asked me any questions about Notre Dame. Nothing," Jones Sr. stated. "Over the years, I've told them bits and pieces about my career and my time at Notre Dame, but they didn't have questions for me. They've paid at- tention to the program, and it felt com- fortable for them. I didn't need to do anything. Notre Dame did the work." It was clear how close Andre and Ju- lius Jr. are when Andre announced his commitment to Notre Dame on the Pat McAfee Show right after his older brother announced his. Andre could have had his own moment and his own day in the spotlight. But they wanted to share a commitment date, which meant the world to Julius Sr. and his wife, Kelly. "Julius and Andre are as thick as thieves," Jones Sr. said. "They're as tight as can be. They get to continue to play football on the same team, and my wife and I couldn't be happier. It's a blessing for them to be committed to the same school. I don't have the words." It's the cherry on top that his sons will continue their athletic and academic careers at his alma mater, too. "It's my school, and they're go- ing there to create their own path," he added. "It's good to know that they'll be in the same classrooms and walking the same campus that I did 20 years ago. I'm very fortunate and blessed." The Jones family will frequently re- turn to South Bend for games this fall. "There's no place like home," Jones said. Julius Jones Jr. will enroll at Notre Dame in January 2027, and Andre will be one of the leading faces of the Irish's 2028 recruiting class. "I'm proud of the kids and the leaders they are," Jones Sr. said. "South Florida is where they grew up, but for them to be successful, they wanted to go up north. They had every opportunity to stay close to home and be local guys, but they saw the bigger picture. I didn't have to press them on that. They saw it on their own. "It's hard, cold and different, but ev- erything that comes with Notre Dame will help them." ✦ F O O T B A L L RECRUITING Julius Jones Sr. Reflects On His Sons Committing To Notre Dame Andre Jones (left), the No. 28 safety in the junior class, and Julius Jones Jr., the No. 16 wide receiver and No. 84 overall and in the senior class, both committed to Notre Dame on the Pat McAfee Show this summer. PHOTO COURTESY JULIUS JONES SR. "It's good to know that they'll be in the same classrooms and walking the same campus that I did 20 years ago. I'm very fortunate and blessed." JULIUS JONES SR. ON HIS SONS PICKING NOTRE DAME