ISD Intel (2/24)
National Signing Day was over three weeks ago, but the Irish aren't finished recruiting players who could help them this fall. A couple weeks ago, Notre Dame landed wide receiver transfer Freddy Canteen from Michigan and is now in the running for an impact defensive lineman in Scott Pagano, who is transferring from Clemson after graduating. As we reported earlier in the week, Pagano has already scheduled an official visit to Notre Dame for next month before stops at Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Oregon. We caught up with Pagano's former coach at Moanalua High School in Hawaii, Arnold Martinez, who offered some insight into Pagano's decision to leave a program that just won a national championship. "He's like a son to me," Martinez said of Pagano. "I love him. He's a great guy, a great kid. It's one of those deals where he wants to expand his experiences. There's no bad blood between him and Clemson. I'm excited for him to get an opportunity to experience something new. As a coach, part of me sees the value in staying where you started. "You want guys to stretch their learning, experiences and go outside their comfort zones. He's not afraid to do that. I think whatever choice he makes, he can't go wrong. Even if he was going to stay he wouldn't go wrong. He wants to experience something else and grow from it. You want kids to be able to adapt, be versatile, grow in different situations, so he's definitely showing some maturity." Martinez, who is now the head coach at Kaiser High School, said Pagano has already accomplished more than he could have dreamed of in college. "He's always going to be a Clemson Tiger in his heart," the coach said. "He felt like he accomplished everything he wanted to and got a national championship. The guys in that recruiting class at Clemson had a phenomenal run. Every kid in his same class played in BCS bowl games, two national championship games and won one. There aren't a lot of guys who can say that other than kids who maybe came through Alabama." The 6-foot-3, 295-pounder from Honolulu was an Army All-American coming out of high school, but knew he needed to step up his game for the college level. "In high school, being one of the biggest guys around, there are times when you're going to dominate because of your physical size," Martinez explained. "He wanted to get better at technique. He had a desire to not just rely on his size and I think that's what separated him. One of the things we talked about when he first left high school, was pad level, leverage and playing low because you're going to be up against guys the same size. "I think Dan Brooks and Dabo (Swinney) did a heckuva job of getting him to habitually play with leverage and power down inside. You could see his job was really to plug the middle up and push that line back. I thought he definitely made great improvement from leaving high school to doing that. Almost by necessity you have to, but he did take time out to get better at technique." Once a starter, Pagano remained a key part of the Tigers' defensive line rotation and shared the award given to the unit's 12th man this past season. Still, he has more room to improve. "He's mature enough to know that he's still got some things to work on," Martinez said. "He's not the kid to feel like he's satisfied and has reached the mountaintop. He's a kid who is constantly thinking, 'OK, how can I get better? What can I get better at?' Those qualities are what you want in a player." Notre Dame did offer him a scholarship in high school and Pagano showed some legitimate interest, but he never visited. He'll finally make that trip in a month. "I think tradition obviously," Martinez said of why Notre Dame has Pagano's attention. "He was aware of the tradition and I think he still is now and I think that intrigues him." Martinez isn't expecting a snap decision. "He's going to take these trips," the coach said. "I know he's going to be thorough about it. He won't make an off-the-cuff decision or a knee-jerk decision. He's going to think it through and weigh out the pros and cons and pick something where he feels like he can perform the best and help a team too. That's the other thing with Scott. He cares about helping other people too and helping a team. I don't believe he's just looking at what he can get out of it." And that decision won't come down to a single factor. "He hasn't really said it's one thing or another. It's not playing time, it's not one specific area. It's more of the general experience, what the school has to offer. Obviously, he has to think about what his future looks like after college football. I think he's looking for a situation that will benefit him in that sense." WHAT WOULD PAGANO MEAN FOR THE 2017 IRISH?: Not many fifth-year transfers generate as much interest as Pagano. Then again, there aren't many defensive tackles on the transfer market who can come in and immediately help your team like he can. Notre Dame could certainly use his help at one-technique if Daniel Cage's status becomes uncertain. The 6-3 nose tackle is very strong at the point of attack. When he is at his best, he can be great player versus the run in the middle of a defense. His strongest position is at one-technique or nose guard. He did some really good things against Nick Martin in the game at Death Valley last season, when he got underneath Martin's pads and forced CJ Prosise to bounce outside. Pagano is most effective at plays run at him inside. He is strong, but not a massive presence in the middle. He needs to rely on a good get-off and play with great leverage to be an effective player against the double and struggles when he is late reacting at the snap of the ball. In a lot of ways, he is similar to Cage. He shows flashes of being disruptive versus the run, but is not great at finding the football when having to move laterally against outside zone plays. He also isn't the kind of player who is going to be an outstanding pass rusher, although he does have an effective bull rush. This past season, he lost playing time to five-star freshman Dexter Lawrence. That's says less about Pagano and more about how exceptionally gifted Lawrence is. There aren't many who are as big and freakishly athletic as Lawrence. He should end up being a top five pick in the NFL Draft in 2019. Pagano was still solid as a third tackle on the team and played at nose as well as at three-technique when asked. Clemson would stem their linemen and move the shades pre-snap as well and he could handle the transition to any interior spot on the line. That was nice to see because Mike Elko will mix up his alignments at times. If he was to choose Notre Dame, he could step in and be a one-two with Cage at one-technique immediately. If Jerry Tillery or another player do not step up at three-technique, he could pick up snaps there as well. And if Cage is not healthy enough to play this season, Pagano would play a crucial role in filling in that spot with no one else with experience behind him. One thing the coaching staff can offer him that he didn't get much of a chance to have at Clemson is more of an opportunity on third down. In his last season of eligibility, he would love to show pro scouts he has something more to offer in that area. We'll see if he is open to the pitch that Notre Dame gives him because they should be show him plenty of opportunities to showcase his talent. COACHING CHANGES CATCH DAX'S EYE: Notre Dame has always been a dream school of sorts for Dax Hollifield, so the 2018 North Carolina linebacker was pretty fired up to receive an offer from the Irish a couple weeks ago, but it was a move actually moves made a couple months that helped Notre Dame secure a spot in Hollifield's top nine schools, which he released yesterday. "I'd been talking to them since my sophomore year anyway, but the fact that Coach (Mike) Elko and Coach (Clark) Lea got jobs there as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach was a big factor in them being included," Hollifield said. "I was in contact with them at Wake Forest the whole time." In addition to the Irish, Wake Forest did make the cut along with North Carolina, Alabama, LSU, Florida State, Virginia Tech, South Carolina and Stanford. Hollifield called both Elko and Lea "very sharp." "Coach Elko graduated from Penn," he continued. "He proved it this year at Wake Forest how he can coach. He had one of the best defenses in the country with players who weren't necessarily big-time players. He's a great guy. "Coach Lea is a young guy, but I feel like he's going to be one of the hottest coaches in the country in a few years. He gets down to the fundamentals of stuff and I really like that about him. I think he's a really good coach." Hollifield is going to try to visit each of his favorites over the next several months and hopes to have his list trimmed to five by the start of the fall. RISING DE EXCITED BY ND OFFER: Notre Dame needs pass rushers and 2018 California defensive end Abdul-Malik McClain is one the Irish have more than a fair shot at landing land. The three-star prospect from Santa Margarita was fired up to learn he had an offer from Notre Dame last week. "I was very happy about it," McClain told Irish Sports Daily. "Notre Dame is one of those schools I really like and I was really excited to get the offer." UCLA, Virginia and Washington join Notre Dame in offering the California native and all want him coming off the edge. "It's really exciting for me," he said. "They see me as a rush end but kind of like a linebacker too." Notre Dame should have a chance to impress McClain this summer as he is already trying to get a trip worked out to South Bend. "I think I will be coming out to South Bend for a camp this summer," said McClain. ND OFFER SENTIMENTAL ONE FOR WILLIAMS: 2018 California wide receiver Chase Williams has some pretty big-time offers already with schools like USC, Washington, Cal and UCLA among others. But the offer he received from Notre Dame had an added layer of significance for the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder from Corona, Calif. "I was really excited," Williams said. "It was a bigger one for me because it has a lot to do with my family. It was really meaningful. "It's very meaningful to me and my family because one of the members of my family who had passed away, it was his favorite school. There was just more meaning to the offer, not that the other ones aren't. I'm just saying it was more sentimental." Williams plans to visit South Bend at some point to get a feel for the school, program and the surrounding area, but doesn't have a date locked in yet. He's already been to USC, UCLA, Cal and Washington and will be back at UCLA this weekend. In addition, Arizona and Georgia have also made strong pushes. Williams isn't in a rush to make a decision, but would like to have one before the start of his senior season. COULD IRISH GO AFTER ANOTHER HOOPS PROJECT?: Just a couple years ago, Kofi Wardlow considered himself a basketball player and now the 2017 Washington, D.C. defensive end is headed to Notre Dame as a football player after signing with the Irish earlier this month. Jayson Oweh is looking to take a similar path as the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder from New Jersey's Blair Academy has also made football his primary sport over hoops. Like Wardlow, Oweh could play defensive end, but he's hoping to play tight end at the next level. Oweh could be in the midst of one of those stages where a prospect goes from unknown to well-known in a flash. After picking up his first offer, from Rutgers, back on Feb. 8th, Oweh has grabbed offers from Boston College, Louisville, Temple, Central Florida and Dartmouth this week alone with Pitt potentially coming in next. He's received some preliminary contact from Notre Dame and is hoping that continues. Oweh said he would "definitely" be interested in the Irish and would love the opportunity to visit South Bend. He's also receiving varying degrees of interest from schools like Syracuse, Penn State, Wisconsin and Indiana. Obviously, college coaches like the athletic gifts Oweh possesses along with his ceiling since he's only played football for a single year. For his part, Oweh, who wants to study Engineering, is going to be looking at academics seriously. But for now, he's just enjoying the beginning of the process. "It's a blessing. It's overwhelming, but it's a blessing. It's my first year playing, so I'm extremely blessed to have this."http://www.hudl.com/video/3/8228091/58214943bd752109189627a4 Additional Analysis From Uyeyama: When I watched Oweh's film from his first year playing football, I couldn't help but think of Wardlow. If Notre Dame took a chance on Wardlow with how raw he is, they could do the same with someone like Oweh, who has more impressive physical traits than Wardlow. He absolutely looks the part of a future NFL player with his wingspan and the way he moves for someone 6-6 and 240 pounds. I'm sure he is going to be get much bigger as well and be a scary individual. There are so many things like hand use and snap anticipation where he is clearly taking baby steps. For that reason, I can understand why most of the big boys would want to see him during the May evaluation period, in camp, or on video competing at other camps this spring or summer before pulling the trigger. That is what I assume Notre Dame would do with a prospect like him at this time. It's likely that they would wait to see him doing that, much like they did with Ade Ogundeji before offering him a couple of years ago. Oweh is someone who should definitely be on their board as someone to watch closely, though. He is the prototype physically and if he shows enough of the other traits that can be molded at the next level, he could very well be in line for an offer down in the next few months. GARNER WANTS ND OFFER: Stanley Garner already has an impressive offer sheet, but the 2018 Florida cornerback wants more. In fact, the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder from Fort Lauderdale recently sent out a tweet listing the schools he was still waiting on offers from and Notre Dame was on it.https://twitter.com/StanleyG_9/status/832048469795827713 "I just see that they have a large fan base and their fan base shows a lot of love," Garner said of the Irish. "They also send me a lot of mail, so I know I'm on their watch list, I just haven't gotten an offer yet." Garner already has offers from schools like Clemson, South Carolina, Auburn, Miami, Central Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky among others. He says an offer from Notre Dame would vault the Irish into contenders and would likely result in him taking a visit to South Bend. Garner said colleges like the frame, athleticism and physicality he brings to the position. Comfort will be a major factor when it comes time for him to choose one school over the rest. ON THE HOOPS TRAIL: With a week off between games, Mike Brey dispatched his assistant coaches around the country to check on recruits in the Class of 2018 and beyond. Nate Laszewski was one of the first 2018 prospects the Irish checked on. The 6-foot-7 swingman from Northfield Mount Herman in Massachusetts has offers from schools like Villanova, Texas, Texas A&M, Miami, Baylor and Wake Forest. Despite having not offered Laszewski yet, the Irish remain firmly in the race and he visited back in November. In the coming months, he could see his stock soar the nation's biggest programs are already poking around but academics will really be the key here. Wake Forest and Danny Manning are coming at him hard right now, but we're told Laszewski has a good understanding of where he stands with the Irish as well. If Notre Dame decides to offer, it would be a real contender. Brock Cunningham is another top target who is waiting on an offer from the Irish. The 2018 Texas forward tells us he was honored to have Notre Dame at his playoff game earlier in the week and will now wait to hear back on whether the Irish believe he's good enough for them. If Notre Dame decides to offer, the 6-foot-7, 205-pounder would likely jump at the chance to visit South Bend. His grandfather worked at Notre Dame and his mother grew up nearby, so Cunningham's family has seriously strong ties to the University. 2018 New Jersey guard Luther Muhammad also received a visit. One of the top players on the East Coast, Notre Dame remains in the mix and he continues to talk about getting out to South Bend. The Irish will need to get him on campus if they're going to stay in the race against schools like St. John's, Syracuse and Seton Hall among others. Texas' Gerald Liddell Jr. may have been the highest-rated target the Irish saw during their travels. The 6-foot-7, 180-pounder from Cibilo, Texas is considered a five-star prospect by multiple outlets. It'll be interesting to see if the Irish are able to establish any type of traction. Notre Dame also made it up to Chicago to check on 2018 guard Ayo Dosunmu and 2018 swingman Talen Horton-Tucker, both of whom have made trips down to South Bend in recent months. The Irish made sure to swing by and see 2017 signee DJ Harvey and watched his game against Virginia's Paul VI, which features 2018 guard Brandon Slater and 2020 guard Jeremy Roach. Other targets who the Irish checked in on included 2018 Washington, D.C. guard Prentiss Hubb, 2018 Wisconsin forward Joey Hauser and 2018 Texas forward Matthew Mayer along with 2019 Minnesota forward Matthew Hurt. SHOOTING THE GAPS: 2018 Ohio running back Jaelen Gill has a decision date set for Wednesday. If you didn't notice, we removed Gill from our Target List last week. The Irish are no longer pursuing Gill, who is expected to pick Ohio State. The flurry of offers the Irish sent out on Tuesday included four to players who could play receiver. Notre Dame scored a receiver commitment last week from Micah Jones and one this week from Braden Lenzy, but apparently, the staff is far from done at the position. "They're taking five receivers this year in the Class of 2018 because they need guys who can make plays," one of the prospects who was offered this week told ISD. One thing that is clear is the Irish are definitely prioritizing speed at the position. They saw what the offense looked liked with Will Fuller in it as a deep threat and what it looked like without him last season. Adding Lenzy as a speedy option on the outside is a terrific start, but new offers to Lawrence Keys III, Anthony Schwartz, and Mike Wilson signal that they aren't done looking for burners to create big-chunk plays. Expect them to continue to look for more players with similar speed at receiver this spring. Five may be pushing it a bit, but Notre Dame is clearly making the position a priority this cycle. CJ Holmes has enjoyed his first several weeks on campus after enrolling early last month. The Connecticut native will be seeing some faces this weekend as his father and sister, Lexe, are making the trip to South Bend. Lexe is a standout track sprinter with state records in the 100 and 200 while reaching All-American status in the 200 and 400. She's is taking an unofficial visit to Notre Dame with the hosting the ACC Indoor Championships. Lexe visited Clemson last weekend and expects to hit Maryland, South Carolina, UConn and Vanderbilt among others in the weeks to come. Meanwhile, CJ seems to be making the transition to college just fine. He's liking his teammates, classmates and the workouts. He might be liking the workouts most of all as he feels he's already in the best shape of his life and appears to have caught the eye of the new strength staff. We didn't see the Irish almost sweeping commits from Junior Day visitors scoring pledges from four of the five uncommitted targets who were on campus a couple weeks ago at least not this fast. But we had a source who did. He didn't only know who was going to fall to Notre Dame, but he predicted when as well, so kudos to him. "Just getting started," the source said after Lenzy announcement this week. Asked if there were more to come in the immediate future, he said he wasn't as sure as the previous ones, but that he knew the members of the current class were working particularly hard on one more. Could it be Ohio linebacker Dallas Gant to complete a perfect Junior Day sweep? We'll see.
ISD Intel (2/3)
Notre Dame had plenty to offer Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and the chance to be a featured part of the Irish's defense was one of the major ones for the Virginia linebacker/safety. Owusu-Koramoah was one of the final pieces of Notre Dame's 2017 recruiting puzzle and a big one as he's being brought in to play the Rover position in new defensive coordinator Mike Elko's scheme. "The position is a unique position for a guy like me who is really athletic and likes to move around," the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder told Irish Sports Daily on National Signing Day. "It'll be a key position for me. It's a position I would always love to play. "It's kind of like an outside linebacker/safety. He guards the number two receiver, blitzes off the edge, blitzes off either side, twists. The guy is just everywhere. He has to be one of the most athletic guys on that defense to play that Rover spot, so it's an honor." The Bethel High School standout is confident his skillset will lead to success at the spot. "I'll probably have to just say my athleticism, my ability to catch, my ability to jump, my eye discipline," he said. "Some people get stuck looking in the backfield and just my ability to cover basically and my desire to blitz." Owusu-Koramoah said fit was "definitely" a reason why the one-time Virginia commit chose Notre Dame over Michigan State and others. "The fit for the position and the school in general," he said. After official visits to South Bend and East Lansing back-to-back weeks, Owusu-Koramoah felt Notre Dame was the best place for him. "I just have the desire to become the best I can on and off the field, both academically and football-wise," he said. "There's no better place to do what you want to do than Notre Dame." He came to his final decision on Sunday night. "I'm just blessed. I thank God for this opportunity and I'm ready for this opportunity. I have the highest goals, including winning a national championship." 2017 CLASS SUPERLATIVES: The 2017 class was a fun one to cover for the last year-plus. Best Social Media: Darnell Ewell He has a Twitter account (@dewell16), but has never publicly tweeted and that's more than fine. No drama and nothing filling out your timeline with random high school tweets. Best For A One-Liner: Darnell Ewell After taking a risk and answering a call from an unknown number, the Virginia native said, "I didn't know if it was a gypsy calling or a lady from a 900-number or what. No sir!" Most Dependable: Brock Wright The Texas native kept to himself for most of the process, but he would always communicate when you needed something. Easiest to Predict to Notre Dame: Isaiah Robertson It might have taken a little longer than he liked to get the offer, but after his Junior Day visit, it was clear Notre Dame was going to be the spot he was landing. Most Entertaining: Avery Davis The Cedar Hill star took over the ISD Snapchat multiple times during his recruitment and delivered the fans unique behind the scenes experiences each time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOcSwbhDyrY Most Passionate About Notre Dame: Dillan Gibbons If you didn't see the video made for the Florida offensive lineman on National Signing Day, check it out.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKMg4-UBv4Y Best Commitment Announcement: CJ Holmes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8S_O_VHbM4 2017 PICKS TO CLICK: Each member of the ISD staff offers five players from the 2017 class who they're most confident in having a major impact at Notre Dame before their careers are up. FrankMyron Tagovailoa-Amosa Relentless. Will get bigger. Wants to be a great player. Has outstanding quickness and advanced technique. Cole Kmet Much better athlete than I anticipated. Very smooth and effortless running routes. Has good vertical speed and soft hands. Brock Wright Punishing blocker who will get on the field for that alone, but he's a better receiver than people give him credit for. Jordan Genmark-Heath A lot of upside with him. Very physical. He turns left and right very well for his size. An instinctual player. Good speed for his size. He has the athleticism and speed to be a strong safety and cover guys, but also the size and physical mentality to play closer to the line of scrimmage as a Rover. CJ Holmes Tremendous upside. Good speed. Great hands. Excellent compete level. Wants to be a great player. A great athlete who will work to get on the field somewhere. UyeyamaMyron Tagovailoa-Amosa I think the Irish are getting a steal out of Hawaii. He has the potential to be a very disruptive interior pass rusher and I would not be surprised to see him play some this season. I think he can be a multi-year starter for the Irish. Drew White I've already mentioned how he is my favorite player in the class. He showed out against top competition and had big productivity at the high school level. I think he'll be a productive player for the Irish too. He won't play early because of the depth in front of him, but his instincts and work ethic will help him become a starter at inside linebacker eventually. Brock Wright Is it a cop-out to pick the highest ranked player in the class? I don't care if it is because I think Wright has all the tools to be a stud at the next level. I expect him to play early and I'm excited to see how he develops with offensive coordinator Chip Long as his position coach. Robert Hainsey He is going to need some time to develop physically, but once he catches up in that department, he is going to be in the mix to start at guard. I love his compete level, his feet and the level of nasty he brings to the game. CJ Holmes He has the versatility that makes him unique from the other backs on the roster with only Tony Jones Jr. as a comparable receiver out of the backfield. Those two might make a great combo in a couple of years as well. I don't know if Holmes will ever have the speed of CJ Prosise, but he could end up being a very comparable player to him as he develops physically. I love his confidence too. McCollumBrock Wright He's the best tight end prospect in America. He's going to a program known for featuring that position and he's super mature. Deion Sanders knows what he's talking about.https://twitter.com/DeionSanders/status/814928435269156865Cole Kmet Everything I just said about Wright except he's "one of" the best tight end prospects in the country and Deion Sanders has yet to weigh in on his NFL potential. Darnell Ewell Brian Kelly said himself that the Virginia native has the physical and mental mindset to play immediately. He'll certainly make an impact eventually. Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Size, strength, athleticism, potential. The Irish are excited about what they've got in Tagovailoa. CJ Holmes The comparisons to Theo Riddick and CJ Prosise are real. I saw him win MVP honors at receiver in a camp that also included top national receiver target Tarik Black. He was offered by schools to play five positions. The kid is a football player, who will make an impact. FreemanBrock Wright He's a beast from Texas. Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Quick first step. Power. Everything Notre Dame needs to bolster defensive line depth. Aaron Banks The ability to play inside or outside presents Harry Hiestand with options to get Banks in his best position, but also others. Jordan Genmark-Heath The kid loves football. That's a big part of the battle. Drew White Elite instincts are crucial for the position and White has them. HMMM.: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Kofi Wardlow didn't quite get the timing of their National Letters of Intent right as Brian Kelly twice had to stop his press conference on Wednesday to hop on the phone with each. Or, did the Virginia linebacker/safety and Washington, D.C. defensive end actually time them up just right? ARROW UP WITH AMON-RA: Amon-Ra St. Brown is a prospect Irish fans have been aware of for years now. The Irish signed his oldest brother, Equanimeous, but missed out on the middle brother, Osiris, and now the 2018 California wideout is Notre Dame's next major target. There was a time a couple months ago, when the Irish were legitimately a longshot to land him, with one source describing it as "impossible." But there are still plenty of swings to go before the 2018 recruiting class is settled and the Irish are back in the thick of things for the youngest St. Brown. "I'm sure they are in his top three or four," we were told. The addition of wide receivers coach Del Alexander is a big reason why. St. Brown and his family are familiar with Alexander going back years and were encouraged by his hiring. Additionally, there are reasons Equanimeous is at Notre Dame and why Osiris was close to choosing the Irish. "Osiris said they were his number two," one source said. "That being said, I think Amon-Ra also has Notre Dame high up there, they're still up there with him." Stanford was always a dream school for Osiris, so it wasn't a huge shock he chose the Cardinal over joining his brother at Notre Dame. Equanimeous had a breakout season as a sophomore and everybody expects him to improve on that in 2017, but the biggest hurdle the Irish may have to clear is explaining why he didn't play much as a freshman. The competition will be stiff with Stanford, USC, Alabama and just about everybody else coming after him, but of Amon-Ra believes he'll get a legit shot at competing to play as a freshman, Notre Dame will be a player until the end here.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/5413752/57d1c3dddfe29a382c63f936 HAWKINS HAS EYES ON IRISH STILL: 2018 Ohio defensive lineman Aeneas Hawkins has been to Notre Dame twice already and is already planning on getting back again. Hawkins has several major offers, including one from Notre Dame, and said he plans on being at the Irish's Junior Day next weekend as long as transportation isn't an issue. "There's really nothing that's wrong with them," Hawkins said of the Irish. "Obviously, it was a rough season, but I understand Notre Dame is bigger than one football season. It's a great tradition. I know the academics there are insane. You're going to graduate with a great degree if you go there. "There is so much that goes into a school like Notre Dame that I'm excited about." The Moeller High School standout is close with current Irish defensive lineman Elijah Taylor, who also attended Moeller and Hawkins is getting tight with Notre Dame commit Markese Stepp. He has a strong relationship with Irish recruiting coordinator Mike Elston, who is now not only his area recruiter, but would be his position coach. Whenever he gets back to South Bend, seeing the players and the coaches will be important, but he's already seen enough of the campus. The biggest thing for Hawkins will be trying to find that comfort feeling within the program, the school and the community. Ohio State, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Penn State are also chasing him hard at this point, although Hawkins expects other schools to ramp it up now that Signing Day for the Class of 2017 is in the books. He has a tentative announcement date for his birthday in May, but he won't make a decision if he isn't ready.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/4267249/57ccdaef7bddf73e38c700f0 MICAH MAKING MOVES: While other 2018 recruits are excited for their chances to be on center stage with the 2017 class out of the way, Illinois wide receiver Micah Jones is already looking to bring his recruitment to an end in a matter of months, possibly weeks. As we reported yesterday, Jones had an extensive conversation with Del Alexander on National Signing Day about the direction of Notre Dame's program and the staff's belief that he's an important piece to the Irish's plans in 2018 and beyond. As we reported last month, Jones had been scheduled to have an overnight stay in South Bend in January, but Notre Dame explained it wanted to push that back since it had so many 2017 prospects coming in that weekend. The Irish said they understood how important of a visit it would be for Jones and they needed to make sure they could devote the proper amount of attention toward him. "It makes me feel good as a prospect that they're looking at me that intensely," Jones told ISD. "It makes me feel like I'm one of the top guys they're looking at and I like how they're including me with their recruiting." Jones talked about the atmosphere and the degree as two reasons why Notre Dame is so high on his list, which also includes Michigan State, Northwestern, Iowa, Illinois and Ole Miss. Over Christmas break, Jones was able to catch up with Notre Dame long snapper John Shannon, who lives nearby. "It's been really cool," Jones said. "He's told me a lot about it. I just can't wait to get down there with the players, talk to the players and get more one-on-one time with the coaches." He visited Northwestern last weekend and hopes to check out his other top schools before making his decision in either March or April. http://www.hudl.com/video/3/4466604/5841b40ea680972570b14cf0 JUDGING CULPEPPER'S FUTURE: Florida's Judge Culpepper is a highly-ranked tight end in the Class of 2018 and has received several offers from major schools like Florida, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Tennessee and USC among several others. Notre Dame offered him too, but the Irish see the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder from Tampa as a defender at the next level. "They're actually looking at me more as a defensive lineman, a defensive end," Culpepper told ISD. Offense versus defense won't be a deciding factor for the Plant High School standout. "I love them both," he said. "I'll play whatever they need me to play, I don't really care." Culpepper's brother is a quarterback at Syracuse and his dad played football at Florida, but both took looks at the Irish and Culpepper plans to as well. "My dad almost went to Notre Dame," he said. "That place is awesome. I can't wait to get up there. We're trying to figure out a time at some point to get up to a lot of these schools that have offered and Notre Dame is definitely one of the ones I really want to check out. "Obviously, there's this huge football tradition. They've got unbelievable academics there. My brother took a trip out there when he was being recruited. He said it was really something I should see and that it was an awesome experience."http://www.hudl.com/video/3/4137781/587a4798da5b3e32e0f8bde0 2019 PREVIEW: Wrapping up the 2017 recruiting class doesn't just boost the Class of 2018 to center stage, it also elevates the Class of 2019 one more rung on the ladder. Prospects who are currently sophomores in high school shouldn't just be viewed as players to keep an eye on way down the road. With today's accelerated recruiting calendar, the future is now for many of these prospects. Consider the fact that Notre Dame landed commitments from three members of the 2017 class before they began their junior years of high school. The Irish went ahead and doubled that total, getting six members of the 2018 group in the fold before the start of their junior seasons. This isn't to say the Irish are on the verge of landing commitments from any 2019 targets, but the names are worth knowing now. Getting Phil Jurkovec to commit way back in May, just two months after 2017 quarterback Avery Davis offered his verbal commitment, essentially gave the Irish a two-year head start recruiting the position. Forget about 2018 kids, many programs were still chasing quarterbacks entering their senior seasons while Notre Dame was able to turn its focus to those who just finished their freshman seasons. One in particular caught their attention. J.T. Daniels has managed to catch almost everybody's attention by this point. In addition to Notre Dame, which offered him last January, the California quarterback already has offers from USC, UCLA, Washington, Michigan, Ole Miss and Alabama. He's the real deal. Mater Dei head coach Bruce Rollinson has coached elite quarterbacks in the past and he's not afraid to compare Daniels to many of those guys at this stage. The kid is a stud. He's already been to South Bend twice, including a stop for Irish Invasion last summer, where he impressed. His interest in the Irish should be considered legit, although his point man at Notre Dame had been Mike Sanford. Of course, he's not even a junior yet, so the Irish staff has plenty of time to continue building relationships. Obviously, the biggest programs in the country are going to be coming after Daniels and it could be a challenge to get him off the West Coast, but Notre Dame is off to a great start in an attempt to do just that. Houston's Grant Gunnell is another big-time 2019 signal-caller on the Irish's radar. There seems to be at least some mutual interest, but he will be recruited hard by all of the regional powers and most of the national ones.https://www.hudl.com/video/3/2505201/583db45c5b3cb022dc170137 One of Notre Dame's first running back offers in the Class of 2019 went out months ago to Florida's Nay'quan Wright. The Miami Carol City standout screams future stud and also has offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Miami already. He's going to be a tough pull, but the Irish did get in early.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/5514216/5855a22f5b3cb00a2805a623 Another 2019 Florida running back to keep an eye on is Kenny McIntosh. The 6-foot, 200-pounder is the younger brother of Notre Dame's sophomore running back Deon McIntosh. The younger McIntosh had hoped to get to South Bend in October to see Deon and the Irish face off against Miami, where his other brother Richard plays, but wasn't able to make the trip. Obviously, he's expected to get to Notre Dame for an unofficial visit or visits eventually. He's an exciting athlete who would bring a ton of versatility.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/1747656/5813611d11fa804d8c8721bf Last month, Notre Dame officially jumped into the race for top Indianapolis wide receiver David Bell. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder comes from Warren Central, a school the Irish have history with. His offer sheet currently includes Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa and Syracuse, so while Notre Dame wasn't first, the Irish will be able to see they were in before many once the other "big boys" come in.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/5501459/5841e9595b3cb10b307f8973 California wideout Bru McCoy was one of the Irish's first 2019 wideout offers, when they offered him during an unofficial visit last spring. McCoy is teammates with Daniels and Amon-Ra St. Brown at Mater Dei. Notre Dame hasn't offered New Jersey's RJ Hart yet, but after he took an unofficial visit to South Bend last fall, the Irish will almost certainly have a spot toward the top of his list if they decide to. As you'll see McCoy could end up turning into a terrorizing outside linebacker.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/6094872/57db5e690aff7a83a47a63a0 2019 offensive linemen to watch include Minnesota tackle Quinn Carroll, who may be the hottest prospect in the class after grabbing offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Florida State within the last week, and New Jersey guard Caedan Wallace, who visited in November.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/4652353/5827b0d53bd8144cfc16eafb Kentucky defensive tackle Jacob Lacey will likely be a key recruit in the coming years for the Irish. He's a standout prospect at a position where the Irish always have a need who has taken multiple visits to South Bend already and expressed a serious interest in Notre Dame. Check, check, check, check. Other defensive line targets to keep an eye on include New Jersey's Antonio Alfano and Ohio's Zach Harrison.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/5451864/585980dec124dd180c953b5c Notre Dame may not have much of a shot at him, but any fan of recruiting should probably start keeping an eye on Georgia's Owen Pappoe if they haven't already. It's always impressive to see underclassmen stand out at The Opening during the summer, but we've never seen a kid two years behind the headliners look like he belonged as much as Pappoe this past summer. Pappoe is a player who is going to be making an impact on this game for a long, long time.https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5506400/584e1903c124d82f94dc22cd Looking for a 2019 cornerback to watch? Check out California's Max Williams. Williams could be the next Junipero Serra stud to go to USC, but he's already been to South Bend and Todd Lyght has already started forming a relationship.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/5368217/582a7c887bddf74f483c4070 NEW OC APPEALS TO SMYTHE: The way the staff has talked about Durham Smythe and how it plans to use him in recent weeks, it'd seem pretty clear the Irish tight end will be back for his fifth season in 2017, but we're not totally sure that decision has been made just yet. "To be completely honest, he hasn't told me one way or another," one source said. The source guessed the Texan would be back with the Irish next season and said he certainly hasn't heard otherwise, but would be a in a position to know if that decision had been finalized. Whenever that decision does come, new offensive coordinator Chip Long and his scheme are sure to make it easier for Smythe to choose a fifth season at Notre Dame. We're told he's met with Long and all of the new coaches and likes them very much personally. He's also aware of Long's rsum as a coach and has heard about his intentions to utilize more two-tight end sets this fall. "I'm sure that will be impactful," we were told. "My guess is that he's coming back, but being brutally honest, he hasn't told me for sure." WIMBUSH DOESN'T WAIT TO WORK: Brandon Wimbush waited perhaps not patiently but he waited for his time to become Notre Dame's leading quarterback candidate and now that it's here, he isn't going to wait any longer. The Irish junior was back in his native New Jersey over Christmas break, working with his personal quarterback coach Madei Williams. "He's looking real good," Williams told ISD. "I've just got to hand it to him. He's in a really good space right now mentally. Combine that with his physical gifts. Everything is clean, his feet look good. It's just a matter of him continuing to get better and get those reps as QB1." After playing sparingly as a freshman and then finding himself as the third wheel in the competition between DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire, Wimbush is relieved to know his time is coming. "It is a breath of fresh of air because he's gone through the whole competition process, but at the same time, he was removed from that process," said Williams. "In his mind, he's always still been competing with those guys and watching and observing those other two guys compete and battle and prepare from a mental, psychological standpoint. "Everything that the starting quarterback at Notre Dame has to handle, he's been able to sit back and observe. Now that he's going to get his opportunity, I think everything that has happened to this point is going to benefit him in a major way." Wimbush's role will be different on the field and in the locker room, but that doesn't mean he needs to go out of his way to change who he is. "He just has to be himself," said Williams. "He'll assume that role as QB1 and be a little bit more vocal as QB1, but he's the type of guy who leads by example. He's done that and I think he has a great rapport and respect from the locker room and I think the staff." Chip Long has talked about his excitement to work with Wimbush, but Williams isn't sure if new Irish offensive coordinator truly understands what he's inherited. "Chip is going to fall in love with this kid as soon as he sees him. He's going to fall in love with his personality and his demeanor and as soon as he sees him throw that football around and move around, he's going to realize he's going to be able to do a lot of things he wants to do within that Notre Dame scheme."
