Jarron Jones Injury: Updates on Notre Dame Star's Knee and Recovery

Notre Dame's defense has been dealt a huge blow three weeks before the season starts, losing star defensive tackle Jarron Jones for the season due to a torn MCL. 

Continue for updates. 

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Brian Kelly Confirms Jones' Injury

Saturday, August 15

Per Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly confirmed that Jones' season was over as a result of the injury. 

In Fornelli's report, Kelly noted that true freshman Jerry Tillery and sophomore Daniel Cage will take Jones' spot on the defensive line this season. 

Tillery was well-regarded as a prospect coming out of high school, with 247Sports rating him as a 4-star prospect and the 158th-best player in the 2015 recruiting class.

However, Jones was a vital piece for Notre Dame's defense, recording 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2014, despite missing the final two games of the season with a foot injury. 

Coming off an 8-5 season in 2014, the Fighting Irish are expected to do big things this year. They start 2015 ranked 11th in the Amway coaches poll, thanks in large part to a defense that's bringing back 10 starters. That ranking will be tested right out of the gate when Notre Dame hosts Texas in South Bend on September 5.