Notre Dame landed a big time pickup when wide receiver Julius Jones Jr. committed to the Fighting Irish. The Notre Dame coaches have wanted Jones in the class for a very long time, which gives them a very satisfying win while adding a big time talent to the roster.

Let's look at the commit profile for Jones:

Hometown/High School: Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas

Height/Weight: 5-10, 175

IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 50 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 25 caliber prospect)

Player Comp: Golden Tate, Notre Dame

Recruited By: Mike Brown, Mike Denbrock

Offers: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami (Fla.), Georgia, Oregon, LSU, Florida, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Florida State, Tennessee, Indiana, Ole Miss, Penn State, Michigan, Auburn, Missouri, Virginia Tech, SMU, Washington, UCLA, NC State, Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, Syracuse, Colorado, Boston College, Maryland, Mississippi State, Purdue

ESPN: 4-star - No. 50 overall - No. 9 wide receiver
Rivals/On3: 4-star - No. 84 overall - No. 16 wide receiver
247Sports: 4-star - No. 124 overall - No. 17 wide receiver
247Sports Composite: 4-star - No. 75 overall - No. 12 wide receiver
Rivals/On3 Consensus: 4-star - No. 81 overall - No. 14 wide receiver

Notre Dame is clearly trying to transition into an offense that is far more dynamic and explosive in the pass game. In order to do that you need playmakers at wide receiver, and Jones certainly adds that to the depth chart. He has the speed to stretch the field, he's dynamic after the catch and his all-around game allows him to be a volume player as well. The ability to impact the game in so many ways is a big reason why Jones ranks so high on the IB board, but it's also why the Irish staff worked so hard to add him to the class. Jones projects well to the field spot (X) and slot (Z), where he can use his route running, speed and playmaking to thrive. His ability to be an after-the-catch weapon is another trait that Notre Dame coveted and wants to continue adding more of to the Irish depth chart.

Jones is an explosive athlete, possessing elite quickness and suddenness as both a route runner and with the ball in his hands. He combines that with impressive vision and feel for finding creases to make him a legitimate after-the-catch weapon.  Jones ran a 10.52 this spring, and you see that speed on film. He possesses legit home run speed, which you see with his ability to simply run past cornerbacks on vertical routes. Jones makes a lot of plays down the field on go routes and post routes thanks to that speed. He also shows impressive acceleration, which he uses as a route runner and especially to hit creases after he makes the catch. 

You see Jones use his athletic talents and high football IQ as a route runner. He's a nightmare to handle at the line thanks to his elite quickness and body control. Jones also shows an advanced route running package, including the understanding of using leverage and angles to manipulate defenders with his release and stem. He explodes out of speed cuts and quick cuts, allowing him to gain immediate separation. I love how he'll also manipulate his own speed to make a defensive back think he's in position, and then either make another sudden more, or turn the jets on to attack an open area or the football. This forces defensive backs to get into recovery mode, and once that happens he has already won with his route. Jones also shows efficient footwork with his top ends, which allows him to quickly get out of breaks and is another attribute that allows him to get immediate separation.

Jones gets knocked for his size, and with no context I understand that. He's listed at 5-10 and 175 pounds, and he's not a guy that's going to ever be mistaken for Malachi Fields, Chase Claypool or Miles Boykin. But that isn't his game, and despite his lack of size, Jones has elite ball skills and projects to be a legit contested catch threat. In this way his game reminds me a great deal of former Irish star Golden Tate. Jones has elite hand-eye coordination and he attacks the football in the air. His ability to track the ball and lock into throws in traffic combines with quick leaping ability and great timing to allow him to dominate on jump balls and throws in traffic. That projects to the next level and it's a reason why I think he could also play in the boundary and absolutely projects to be a legit playmaker at the X position (outside).

Some will lock him into the slot because of his size, but that's a bad evaluation in my mind. If Jones plays the slot it's not because he's locked in there because of his size, it's because he can be dominant there. His ball skills would make him a legit weapon on the Slot Fade concepts that Notre Dame likes to run, it would allow him to make plays in the quick game, allow him to play in space and he'd be able to get the ball in space. But his speed, ball skills and route running also allow him to project just as well to the outside in the Notre Dame offense.

Jones is a big time talent, and at the end of the day the position he'll play will be largely determined by what gets him on the field fastest, how he fits with other players that are in the top three or four in the depth chart, and where he can make the most plays. That versatility and his playmaking skills are big reasons why Jones is an elite prospect and why this commitment means so much for the Irish.

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