Listed Measurements: 6-foot-3, 243 pounds
2017-18 year, eligibility: Sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining including 2017
Depth chart: Jones spent spring third on the depth chart at inside linebacker behind senior captain Nyles Morgan and sophomore Jonathan Jones (no relation). If and when Jamir Jones moves to the defensive line, he will join classmates Daelin Hayes, Julian Okwara, Ade Ogundeji and Khalid Kareem at defensive end, presumably behind all of them, at least from the outset.
Recruiting: A consensus three-star recruit, Jones chose Notre Dame over offers such as Boston College, Pittsburgh and Syracuse. The East Coast emphasis makes sense when remembering Jones comes from upstate New York, not exactly fertile football recruiting ground. Rivals.com rated him as the No. 43 outside linebacker in the class of 2016 and the No. 2 prospect in New York.
CAREER TO DATE
Jones made eight special teams tackles in 10 games last season. Though he never lined up next to his older brother, defensive tackle Jarron, he did get the opportunity to dress alongside him for the season.
QUOTE(S)
Irish coach Brian Kelly twice this spring indicated Jamir Jones’ future may not be at linebacker, but rather on the defensive line.
“We’re cross-training Jamir Jones inside and on the edge on third down,” Kelly said at the end of March before adding a week later, “We’re even going to get Jamir Jones activated a little more [on the line]. He’s up to 242 pounds. I don’t know that we’ll ever be able to hold him back from being a bigger guy.”
WHAT KEITH ARNOLD PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“If Jones can rush the passer I think he can play this season. f he’s going to be asked to play linebacker, it’s a redshirt in 2016.
“In baseball lingo, Jones feels like a toolsy prospect who can do a lot of things. That’s translated quite nicely under Brian Kelly, with offensive success stories (C.J. Prosise) and defensive ones as well (James Onwualu).
“Ultimately, a growth spurt or weight-room participation will likely determine what type of player Jones becomes. Add an inch or two to his height and he could be a prototype pass rusher at weakside defensive end. Stay the same height and fill out and he could play either inside or out at linebacker.
“Spring will likely be the most important time for Jones. He’ll have made it through his first season and the staff will know better what they have in him.”
2017 OUTLOOK
It is tough to project more than special teams action for Jones this season. If injuries severely limited Notre Dame’s veteran linebackers — seniors Morgan and Greer Martini and junior Te’von Coney — then perhaps Jones would be needed, but even that scenario would include competition from incoming freshmen David Adams and Drew White, both more traditional linebackers than Jones.
If his transition to the defensive line were to be expedited this fall, there is already a quartet of sophomores fighting for playing time alongside senior defensive ends Jay Hayes and Andrew Trumbetti.
DOWN THE ROAD
It would not be the worst thing for Jones’ career to not see much viable action this fall. He entered college high on athleticism — best acknowledged by noting he excelled in high school not only on defense but also at tight end and quarterback — but low on a set trajectory. He started his career as an outside linebacker, somewhat moved to inside linebacker, and is now considered for a spot on the defensive line. That possibility was always somewhere in Kelly’s mind.
Defensive line may be where Jones will have a better chance to excel. While he does not have his brother’s length, he could have the same late development. With time, Jarron became quite a physical player. If that lies in Jamir’s future, it is best utilized in the trenches.
Once Trumbetti uses up his eligibility this fall, only the yet-to-prove-himself Jay Hayes will remain as an established starter at defensive end. Jones is not necessarily all that far behind the four sophomores already working on the front line. He could very well keep up with, or pass, some of them in 2018 or 2019.
2017’s Notre Dame 99-to-2
Friday at 4: Goodbye A-to-Z, hello 99-to-2 (May 12)
No. 99: Jerry Tillery, defensive tackle
No. 98: Andrew Trumbetti, defensive end
No. 97: Micah Dew-Treadway, defensive tackle
No. 96: Pete Mokwuah, defensive tackle
No. 95 (theoretically): Darnell Ewell, defensive tackle
No. 94 (theoretically): Kurt Hinish, defensive tackle
No. 93: Jay Hayes, defensive end
No. 92 (theoretically): Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, defensive tackle
No. 91: Ade Ogundeji, defensive end
No. 90 (theoretically): Cole Kmet, tight end
No. 89: Brock Wright, tight end
No. 88: Javon McKinley, receiver
No. 87 (theoretically): Jafar Armstrong, receiver
No. 86: Alizé Mack, tight end
No. 85: Tyler Newsome, punter
No. 84 (theoretically): Michael Young, receiver
No. 83: Chase Claypool, receiver
No. 82: Nic Weishar, tight end
No. 81: Miles Boykin, receiver
No. 80: Durham Smythe, tight end
No. 78: Tommy Kraemer, right tackle
No. 77: Brandon Tiassum, defensive tackle
No. 75: Daniel Cage, defensive tackle
No. 74: Liam Eichenberg, right tackle
No. 73: (theoretically) Josh Lugg, offensive tackle
No. 72: Robert Hainsey, offensive tackle
No. 71: Alex Bars, offensive lineman
No. 70: Hunter Bivin, offensive lineman
No. 69: Aaron Banks, offensive lineman
No. 68: Mike McGlinchey, left tackle
No. 67: Jimmy Byrne, offensive lineman
No. 65: (theoretically) Dillan Gibbons, offensive lineman
No. 58: Elijah Taylor, defensive tackle
No. 57: Trevor Ruhland, offensive lineman
No. 56: Quenton Nelson, left guard
No. 55: Jonathan Bonner, defensive lineman
No. 54: John Shannon, long snapper
No. 53: Sam Mustipher, center
No. 53: Khalid Kareem, defensive lineman
No. 52: (theoretically) Jonathan Doerer, kicker
No. 48: Greer Martini, inside linebacker
No. 47: (theoretically) Kofi Wardlow, defensive end
No. 46: (theoretically) Jonathon MacCollister; defensive end
No. 45: Jonathan Jones, inside linebacker
TRANSFERS
No. 66: Tristen Hoge, offensive lineman, transfers to BYU
No. 50: Parker Boudreaux, offensive lineman
No. 30: Josh Barajas, linebacker, to transfer to Illinois State
INJURIES
No. 13: Tyler Luatua, tight end, career ended by medical hardship