Irish push for Jones
SAN ANTONIO - Alize Jones heads into the recruiting homestretch committed but still with much to consider.
Jones, a four-star tight end from Las Vegas, has been committed to UCLA for over a year. But earlier this month Notre Dame hosted the Rivals100 prospect on an official visit after also getting him on campus for a game during the season.
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Making the latest trek to South Bend offered Jones an even deeper perspective on the program.
“The academics part, I really liked that,” Jones said. “I like how they run their system. I got really close with the coaching staff in some type of ways. But coach (Scott) Booker, coach (Mike) Denbrock, they just sat me and just showed me some of the stuff in the film room and what they do.”
Booker and Denbrock showed Jones film of previous tight ends to matriculate through Notre Dame on the way to professional success, starting with Tyler Eifert.
“They’re just consistent every year and they have proof of it,” Jones said. “They just showed me what I’d be doing if I go there. I like it. I got to see what I’d be doing. They do a lot of different things with tight ends. They put their hands down, split them out wide. I liked it.”
Jones made the visit to Notre Dame alongside safety commitment Nicco Fertitta, a longtime Irish commitment. Fertitta and Jones teamed together at Bishop Gorman High School and have become close friends off the field.
He wasn’t the only one to work on Jones during the visit.
“That’s my boy,” Jones said. “We go to the same school, we’re always hanging out together. I hung out with Jaylon Smith a little bit, Ronnie Stanley and Ben Koyack, we talked a little bit just about some tight end stuff. But yeah, it was a great time.”
Once Jones headed home from the visit recruiting didn’t slow down. UCLA coaches met with the 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect hours after his return to Las Vegas for an in-home visit.
“The coaches were just catching up really,” Jones said. “I’m not a big Twitter guy like that. I don’t really check my DMs that much, so I haven’t been talking to them. We were just catching up and they were talking about the offense and what I’d be doing if I go there. We talked about a bunch of stuff.”
Jones is working on an official visit to UCLA for Jan. 16, shortly after the dead period opens back up. Getting a closer looker at the offensive scheme will be a key point of that trip when it comes.
“I’m just gonna figure out where I think is the best situation for me,” Jones said. “Academic-wise they’re both great schools. Everyone wants to go to the NFL. If you play football, that’s everyone’s dream. I’m trying to figure out what’s the best way for me to develop as a true tight end.”
