When super-sized defensive lineman Jarron Jones gave his verbal commitment to Penn State back in mid-April, the 6-6, 300-pound five-star prospect didn’t shut the door on his recruitment. Instead, the Rochester, N.Y., native left it slightly ajar, claiming he would still visit other programs. And with roughly 20 other scholarship offers from schools across the country, open spots on his schedule were officially up for grabs.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco always maintained a steady line of communication with the Aquinas Institute product and made sure Jones knew what the Irish had to offer. After one or two last minute cancellations due to travel arrangements, the coveted prospect was in South Bend last week to see what Notre Dame was all about.

Even though the Irish hadn’t stolen the Nittany Lions’ prized recruit at the visit’s conclusion, it appears they took that unshut door and flung it wide open.

On Tuesday, Jones withdrew his verbal pledge from Penn State. And while his former school of choice is still in the running, so are the Irish, along with North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

“I just wanted to explore my options, and I felt I needed to be upfront with the coaches at Penn State about where I stood with my commitment,” Jones said. “They understood my decision and told me they’d keep recruiting me.”

As will Notre Dame.

“It was a great visit,” Jones said. “It was nice to meet the coaches and the players. It was just an overall great place to be and a nice, small, positive environment. The visit was a great experience. I could definitely see myself there; it reminded me of my high school.”

Head coach Brian Kelly made sure he had some face time with the New York standout and echoed what Diaco had been telling Jones for months.

“He’s really a great guy, and it was an honor to meet him,” Jones said. “He really just told me about the opportunities at Notre Dame and how it was similar to my high school.”

The Irish coaching staff explained to Jones where they envision him in their defensive scheme. His sheer size coupled with his 4.9-forty speed would link him to multiple defensive packages, but not a lot of breathers on Saturday.

“Coach Diaco sees me as a five-technique in a 3-4 and a three-technique in a 4-3,” Jones said. “I’m comfortable doing all of that. I’d always be on the field making plays.”

Jones, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 defensive tackle in the country, the No. 1 player in New York and the nation’s No. 21 overall prospect, doesn’t have any more visits planned for the immediate future and says there’s not a timetable in place for choosing a school.