Julius Jones Jr. Narrows Recruitment to Final Eight, Miami Still in the Mix
The list is down to eight, and the Miami Hurricanes are still very much in the conversation for one of the most electric wide receivers in the 2027 recruiting class.
Julius Jones Jr., a four-star pass-catcher out of national powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, has trimmed his list of suitors to Miami, LSU, Oregon, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Notre Dame, and Florida State. That’s a heavyweight group, and Jones has earned every bit of the attention.
Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing in at 160 pounds, Jones is currently ranked No. 70 overall in the nation, No. 12 among wide receivers, and No. 7 in the state of Florida, according to On3 and Rivals. But rankings only tell part of the story - the tape and the production speak volumes.
As a sophomore in 2024, Jones led Aquinas in receiving, hauling in 51 passes for 750 yards and six touchdowns. That’s a strong season by any standard, but it was just the beginning.
He took another leap as a junior in 2025, posting 58 receptions for 876 yards and an eye-popping 14 touchdowns. That’s not just growth - that’s dominance.
And when the lights were brightest, Jones delivered. In St.
Thomas Aquinas’ 2025 state championship win over Lakeland, he was a force, pulling in seven catches for 127 yards. It was one of the most impactful performances of the night, and a reminder that Jones isn’t just a stat-sheet stuffer - he’s a big-game player.
His rise hasn’t gone unnoticed on the national stage. Jones was named MVP of the Under Armour Future 50 camp, a showcase loaded with elite talent, and later earned a coveted invite to the 2026 Under Armour All-America Game. That’s the kind of resume that puts you on the radar of every major program in the country - and keeps you there.
Of course, the name Julius Jones already rings a bell for college football fans. His father, Julius Jones Sr., was a standout running back at Notre Dame, where he racked up over 3,000 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns before heading to the NFL as a second-round pick. That legacy adds an interesting wrinkle to the recruiting battle.
Jones Jr. took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame on September 13, 2025 - a familiar setting for the family. But he also made the short trip to Coral Gables for an unofficial visit to Miami on August 31, where he watched the Hurricanes take down the Irish in a statement win for Mario Cristobal’s squad. That kind of experience can leave an impression.
Landing Jones won’t be easy, especially with his Notre Dame ties and the caliber of programs in the mix. But the Hurricanes are in it, and that’s no small thing. As a local product, Miami has the advantage of proximity - and that can matter more than people think, especially when a program is building something real.
Cristobal and his staff have made recruiting the state of Florida a top priority, and keeping a blue-chip talent like Jones home would be a major win. There’s still a long way to go in this recruitment, but for now, Miami is firmly in the hunt - and that’s exactly where they need to be.