Notre Dame Exceeding Expectations For Elite Linebacker Marco Jones

Notre Dame has a long list of talented linebackers that they are pursuing in the 2025 recruiting class. Arguably the most talented is Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley linebacker Marco Jones, who got his first taste of the Notre Dame program during their battle against Ohio State several weeks ago.

Thinking back to that first visit, it really set the stage for the relationship with the Irish to grow to a much deeper level. That admiration for the program hasn’t lessened since then. That visit really made an impact.

"That trip was incredible,” Jones recounted. "I went out there with my mom and grandmother, so the most important women in my life got to experience everything with me. They both loved it.

"I had high expectations going into that visit,” Jones continued. "I mean it’s Notre Dame. They somehow exceeded those expectations. It’s a really wonderful place.”

Since then, things have only gotten better. It has been a collaborative effort from the Irish staff. Jones has quickly become a player that they are pushing for.

"Everything has been really good with Notre Dame,” he explained. "The staff stays in contact consistently. I talk with Al Golden, and Max Bullough, the linebacker coach. I also talk with Caleb Davis. Those relationships are really developing well I’d say.”

The staff values Jones ability to do a lot of things on the football field. There is an endless list of possibilities for everything he can be asked to do.

"They think that I can do a lot of things with my versatility,” he said. "They can see me on the inside, on the outside or even rushing the quarterback. They really like the possibilities I bring to the table.”

With a long list of impressive suitors, Jones named Notre Dame among the schools standing out. Joining them were programs like Oregon, Washington, Texas and Oklahoma. With so many top schools coming after him, the separator for Jones could be finding a school that meets all the criteria he’s looking for.

"I’m looking for a school who has great coaches and a vision of building something great,” he stated. "There are few schools who have a legitimate chance of contending for a championship. Notre Dame is one of those programs. I love what they are building.”

As far as timelines are concerned, there doesn’t seem to be. Notre Dame has made an impact early on and must continue to do so moving forward.

"No, there isn’t really a timeline,” Jones said. "There are several places that I haven’t gotten a chance to see yet. I would like to take my official visits and then take it from there but you never know. It could be sooner, could be later. I’m just kind of going with the flow right now.”

Jones is considered a four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform. 247Sports ranks him the highest, sitting as the No. 106 overall player and No. 12 linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class. Each platform has Jones pegged as a top 25 player in the state of California.

The 6-4, 215-pound linebacker boasts a long and impressive offer list. Some of his top offers so far include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Texas,Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Michigan State, Colorado, Stanford, Oregon State, Duke, Arizona State, Arizona and Cal among others.

Jones has put together a tremendous junior season. He currently leads the team with 103 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss. Jones has also recorded two sacks, three pass breakups and three forced fumbles for the 7-1 squad.

On the offensive side of the football, Jones has also hauled in 17 receptions for 304 yards and six touchdowns.

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