Miami is still alive for one of the best local receivers in the 2027 class, even if Notre Dame looks like the school in control of the recruitment right now.
Four-star wide receiver Julius Jones has trimmed his recruitment to Miami, Notre Dame and Oregon, offering the Hurricanes one more chance to keep the St. Thomas Aquinas standout close to home.
Jones' decision date is set for June 27, and he has visits scheduled to Miami on May 29, Oregon on June 5 and Notre Dame on June 11.
4-star Julius Jones is down to three schools (Miami, Notre Dame and Oregon).
— Marcus Benjamin (@Benjamin_Report) May 22, 2026
“I really appreciate all of them”
The elite 2027 WR @julius_jones_ shares his thoughts on each school with decision day about a month away.
Full video here: https://t.co/YP6fzX8fpl pic.twitter.com/4kjD0TD8Fa
Miami makes top 3 for St. Thomas Aquinas WR Julius Jones
On3/Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine has Notre Dame at 96.2% for Jones, with Florida second at 1.3%. Jones is ranked as the No. 84 overall player, No. 15 wide receiver and No. 9 player in Florida in the Rivals Industry Ranking.
Jones comes in as the No. 72 overall player, No. 12 wide receiver and No. 8 player in Florida in the 247Sports Composite.
As a junior, Jones finished with 58 catches for 876 yards, 15.1 yards per reception and 14 touchdowns while helping St. Thomas Aquinas win its seventh straight state championship. He also earned MaxPreps Junior All-America second-team honors and participated in the Under Armour All-America Game.
St. Thomas Aquinas remains a major battleground for Miami
Jones is also a part of a larger St. Thomas Aquinas story for Miami in the 2027 class.
The Hurricanes have been involved with several Raiders in this cycle. Five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews was one of Miami's biggest local battles before he committed to Texas A&M over Miami, Georgia and LSU.
Miami also battled for safety Zayden Gamble before he committed to Notre Dame over Miami, Florida and Ohio State.
Cornerback Jaden Carey is another St. Thomas Aquinas defensive back Miami has been tied to. Carey has a May 29 official visit to Miami coming up.
Notre Dame's South Florida recruitment success is something to watch as Jones' decision gets closer.
ND already beat out Miami for Gamble. Even if the Irish don't finish the job here, they have been a serious presence around St. Thomas Aquinas, and that is not something Miami can ignore.
The Hurricanes do not have to win every major player from every South Florida powerhouse. That is not realistic in modern recruiting. But St. Thomas Aquinas is too close, too talented and too nationally visible for Miami to let another playoff-level program keep landing top pieces there without a fight.
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