Jones, the first Malvern Prep football player in the class of 2024 to commit, started his recruiting process early. He said the hardest part was having to miss classes to visit colleges. His grades didn’t suffer, as he remains dedicated to his academics. Jones gives a lot of credit to his teachers for his commitment and opportunity to attend school and play at the next level. 

“Even though there were times where I had to miss class, luckily my grades did not suffer. I hope the teachers didn’t mind, that’s why I love to give them credit for this opportunity,” Jones said.

He always felt like he had someone offering strong support during the process. Both of his high school coaches and his father flew out to Notre Dame to support him during this process.

“The best feeling was hearing the Notre Dame coaches tell me how blessed I am to have two coaches like Coach Gueriera and Coach Caroll. Notre Dame has the most respect for them,” 

Jones said.

There were several reasons why he chose Notre Dame. The most prominent being that he feels at home on the campus. He compares Malvern’s brotherhood to Notre Dames, calling it a perfect match. 

“Simply felt like home and it was a place I knew was the best for me. Notre Dame is special. Anyone who has been on their campus will tell you that. But I’d say it’s the feeling of family and brotherhood which compares so much to Malvern, it was a perfect match,” Jones said.

His main reason for choosing Notre Dame was the tradition of the football team. He believes in the coaches, especially Offensive Line Coach Harry Hiestand, Offensive Coordinator Coach Rees, and Head Coach Marcus Freeman.

“Yes I definitely believe in Marcus Freeman and the Freeman Era. He has changed the culture. Adding new and restoring the old. You can feel it. It’s just different,” Jones said.

Jones had several other offers and was very interested in Penn State, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Boston College. 

He has very high goals for himself while playing at Notre Dame. He wants to be the best  player and person that he can be. More specifically, his goals include, playing at the next level, becoming All-American, and becoming a team captain. Jones is ready for the challenge.

“Obviously hard work will need to be a necessity, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Jones said.

Looking ahead and reflecting back on his time on the football field, Jones has advice for his younger Malvern brothers, 

“Listen to your coaches. That’s the most important thing. The amount of advice and tips they give is going to give you the best opportunity to succeed. The second piece of advice is to always be looking to improve and get better everyday. Little changes make the most difference,” Jones said.