Ducks battle Notre Dame for the son of an Irish legend, 8-year pro

On June 5 the Ducks take a visit from Julius Jones Jr., the son of Notre Dame running back Julius Jones, a second-round pick for the Dallas Cowboys in 2004 who rushed for 5,068 yards in the NFL.

In the College Football Playoff/NIL era, legacy recruits become even more important.

The sons of elite players often have a special set of traits. There's the superior genetics for one, and then there's the added element of experience, competitive instincts, inside knowledge and training, plus the intense and undeniable motivation of besting the Old Man.

In the last few weeks the Ducks have gotten a commitment from Josiah Molden, son of Oregon legend Alex. Tuesday they offered LeGarrette Blount Jr., a promising wide receiver in the class of 2028.

In January Dan Lanning and Chris Hampton secured a commitment from Salt Lake City linebacker Sam Ngata, the son of College Football Hall of Fame nose tackle Haloti, whom Mike Bellotti called the best athlete he ever coached

As intense and challenging as recruiting often is, the stakes are even higher in the pursuit of a legacy. There's more pressure for one, and increased expectation. Legacies understand the game, not only the techniques of winning reps at the line of scrimmage, but the details of how recruiting visits and offers and deals are made.

With 10.52 speed and exceptional ball skills, Jones would be sought after if his name was Julius McGillicuddy.

So it's a special challenge when receiver coach Ross Douglas and the Oregon staff set out to poach Jones Jr. from Notre Dame.

Jones Jr. is a fluid, fast wide receiver from St. Thomas Aquinas Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He runs the 100 meters in 10.52, a four-star recruit in the class of 2027 ranked the No. 72 prospect and No. 12 receiver in the class of 2027.

Last season the 5-11, 175 Jones caught 58 passes for 876 yards (15.1 YPC) and 14 touchdowns while helping St. Thomas to their seventh straight state championship. He's dynamic. He excels at contested catches and high-pointing the ball, dangerous in the open field.

Like Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore, he's versatile, with the skills to play in the slot, be a possession receiver or a deep threat.

As expected, Notre Dame has big edge in his recruitment. Jones' father Julius Sr. was an All-American running back for the Irish who played eight years in the NFL for the Cowboys, Saints and Seahawks. By the end of his college career he'd set a school record for all-purpose yards, at that time one of four backs in ND's storied history to rack up over 3,000 yards rushing.

“It's something I've been looking forward to since I was little because I've grown up around Notre Dame Football,” Jones Jr. said. The recruiting websites all say he's trending toward the Irish and most likely to commit to them when he announces his decision on June 23.

Still, the gifted pass-catcher is taking four official visits.

Miami May 29

Oregon June 5

Notre Dame June 11

Florida June 19

Jones told Irish Sports Daily, “The main thing I’m looking for is development. The main goal is always to get to the NFL.”

The point man in Oregon's attempt to poach the legacy is receiver coach Ross Douglas, who's won a few of these battles before. Douglas and Jones Jr. meet every Wednesday via Zoom to watch film together, putting some tangible, important work toward those NFL dreams.

He's likely to pick the Irish, given all that tradition and history and the undeniable family connection. He's got an excellent relationship with Irish receiver coach Mike Brown. But sometimes, the legacy wants to strike out on his own. Jones Jr. would thrive in the explosive Oregon offense, and his traits are a great match to replace Stewart and Moore as a principal target.

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