Top-100 College Football WR Recruit Snubs Two National Powerhouses

Two 2026 College Football Playoff participants missed out on the commitment of this 2027 four-star wide receiver.

Aug 31, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back CharMar Brown (6) rushes the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Four-star wide receiver Julius Jones Jr. committed to Notre Dame live on the Pat McAfee Show Monday afternoon.

Jones Jr. made the announcement three days after his official visit to the Fighting Irish, his last official visit of the cycle. The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder from Fort Lauderdale, Florida ranks as the No. 14 wide receiver, No. 9 prospect in Florida and No. 81 overall prospect in the class on Rivals.

In his previous three seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Jones Jr. caught a combined 120 passes for 1,843 yards and 22 touchdowns, helping the school add three more state championship victories to its seven-year streak. Jones Jr also runs the 100 and 200-meter dashes on St. Thomas Aquinas' track and field team.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins described Jones Jr. as a "sudden and speedy slot receiver that has delivered for one of South Florida's top talent-producing programs since he was a freshman" and "quick to ignite after the catch and can turn quick slants into long touchdowns" in a scouting report from April.

Jones Jr. committed to Notre Dame as a legacy prospect; his father, Julius Jones Sr., played running back for the Fighting Irish from 1999-2003 before his seven-year NFL career. Jones Jr. marks Notre Dame's second wide receiver commit and 13th blue-chip commit in its 2027 class.

While the legacy tie ultimately prevailed, there were other national powers expressing interest in Jones Jr. Hayes Fawcett of Rivals reported that two 2026 College Football Playoff participants were among the finalists for Jones Jr.'s commitment.

Miami

The Hurricanes' close proximity to Jones Jr. made them a frequent stop in his recruitment. Jones Jr. visited Miami on three different occasions in 2026, the last of which was for an official visit on May 29.

Miami has compiled one of the strongest recruiting classes in the 2027 cycle. Despite losing local prospect Ah'Mari Stevens' commitment to LSU, the Hurricanes hold a commitment from local five-star and No. 4 wide receiver prospect Nick Lennear.

Oregon

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jones Jr. showed interest in the Ducks at different points in his recruitment, visiting them each of the last two springs. However, Oregon was never lucky enough to receive an official visit from Jones Jr. this summer.

The Ducks made a big splash at wide receiver with the commitment of Dakota Guerrant on June 16. Guerrant is the No. 7 wide receiver prospect in the 2027 cycle and the current highest-rated prospect in Oregon's class on Rivals.