Jonathan Jones Picks Notre Dame Over Michigan

Notre Dame’s coaches have landed what they think is of the nation’s top linebackers.

Orlando (Fla.) Oak Ridge three-star linebacker Jonathan Jones signed a letter of intent with Notre Dame on Wednesday, picking the Irish over Michigan at a National Singing Day ceremony in front of family and friends.

“I just felt like Notre Dame is where God wanted me to go,” Jones told Blue & Gold Illustrated. “He just shut the door on the other schools and at the end of the day it was Notre Dame.”

Jones, who is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 19 inside linebacker in the country, isn’t regarded as a “top-flight prospect” because of his size at 6-0, 220 pounds, but that didn’t prevent Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh from going head-to-head with each other for the Sunshine State native.

Both Kelly and Harbaugh were able to lure Jones to campus for official visits, and told the linebacker that he was the perfect fit in their respective defenses.

“They’re both just wonderful schools,” Jones said of Notre Dame and Michigan. “They both offer great educations which is the No. 1 thing for me. They both are powerhouses and the coaching staffs are great. They’re almost identical to be honest.”

It was Notre Dame, however, that won out in the end.

Jones also held offers from Florida State, Duke, Oklahoma, Stanford, Ole Miss, Maryland and Miami. He participated in the International Bowl this past weekend and was a standout on defense with four tackles and a sack for the U.S. Under-19 National Team.