ISD Intel (6/9)
More than a few prospects could earn offers at Notre Dame's showcase camp tomorrow night, but it will be equally intriguing to watch the commits and targets who already have offers work out at Irish Invasion. We're not sure if a now-healthy Markese Stepp will work out or not, but we're hoping to see the burst he showed prior to his hamstring injury at the start of his junior season. He is built to be a power back and run between the tackles, but can he be more than that? How far along are his receiving skills? Jayson and Justin Ademilola earned offers at camp a year ago and it's clear the twins have progressed significantly as players since then. There are less questions with Jayson as he's begun to emerge as one of the best defensive tackles in the 2018 class, but we're excited to see Justin compete and see how twitchy he is. He's going to need elite quickness to succeed as a pass rusher at the next level because he isn't super long. This will be their first chance to work with defensive line coach Mike Elston as well. We had the chance to watch linebacker commit Bo Bauer in person at The Opening Cleveland and he is who he is as an athlete. The most important thing with him will be how he takes coaching from Irish assistant Clark Lea and how quickly he can pick up the little things to increase his efficiency on the field. No prospect is more intriguing out of the entire group than defensive end target Jayson Oweh. He is undeniably raw on film, but he has shown out at camps this offseason. How far has he come in his development and how much closer is he to an elite prospect than a project? We'll hopefully see on Saturday. Two recent offers out of Indiana, linebacker Cameron McGrone and cornerback DJ Johnson, will both be there and without the pressure of competing to land an offer. Size and instincts are two biggest unknowns with McGrone. He looks like he is back to where he was as an athlete before his knee injury, but how big is his frame and do his abilities in coverage match his skills as a blitzer? Johnson is coming from a defense that had him play a ton of Cover-3 bail and this will give him an opportunity to show he can cover man-to-man. How fluid is he and how well can he mirror receivers? Last and definitely not least is Rover candidate Shayne Simon. He plays close to the line of scrimmage often for St. Peter's Prep and this setting will be quite a bit different for him. He'll work with Lea and defensive coordinator Mike Elko at the camp and we'll get to see if he is more safety than linebacker. He's simply a football player, though, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him excel working with both coaches. IMPORTANT INVASION INSIGHT: Our understanding is some of the kids coming in this weekend will have the opportunity to stay on campus in the dorms to get a realistic feel of what life as a student-athlete in South Bend is actually like. "The expectation is for them to bond with the players, bond with the coaches, bond with some of the recruits that will be coming along," we were told. As we mentioned previously, stretching out the event into a whole weekend will give the staff flexibility and ample opportunities to spend time with prospects. We're told Sunday's festivities will include a barbecue. In past weeks, we talked about how important it would be for Notre Dame to make a big impression on Jayson Oweh during his time in South Bend this weekend since he'd be squeezing in the stop between visits to Ohio State and Wisconsin. It'll certainly still be important the Irish do make that impression, but we're told the visit won't be rushed since Oweh no longer plans on tripping up to Madison and will instead stay two days at Notre Dame. As we've said in the past, Penn State has already had the chance to showcase the family atmosphere within its program and now the Irish will have the opportunity to do the same. As we said, Shayne Simon is one of the most important targets coming in this weekend. Simon hears about Notre Dame plenty from the Ademilola twins, his friends and teammates at St. Peter's Prep. This weekend will be no different. The trio will be traveling together and are scheduled to arrive on campus early this afternoon and stay until Sunday. We're told the three friends will be together throughout the stay. In other positive news, we continue to feel Notre Dame is the school with the momentum here, not Michigan. In fact, one source speculated that UCLA could actually be running second, not the Wolverines. Simon's mom did go to school in Ann Arbor, but our source is confident she has a great appreciation for the power of the Notre Dame degree. And our source didn't rule out the potential for a relatively quick commitment. "If everything goes well for him this weekend, I don't see why he wouldn't." We're hearing similar things on 2018 Florida tight end George Takacs, who we're told is expected on campus tomorrow night and all day Sunday. In our mind, Notre Dame has been in the lead for Takacs since offering him a scholarship back in March. He visited South Bend later that month. We wouldn't be surprised in the least if he decided to pull the trigger during his return trip this weekend. In fact, it'll be interesting to see how the Irish handle things if he doesn't, given the fact they're also firmly in the running with other tight end targets like Tommy Tremble, Jeremy Ruckert and Mustapha Muhammad. Still, at this point, it's clear to us Takacs is the most likely option and in our opinion, he's on Commit Watch. Notre Dame is in a great position with 2018 Indianapolis cornerback DJ Johnson heading into Invasion. He says Notre Dame is currently in a tie at the top with Iowa and we think the Irish have a chance to make a real surge this weekend. But it's unlikely they'll jump out to an insurmountable lead as Johnson continues to receive attention from other major powers and plans on camping at Ohio State early next week. "I've been talking to them a lot more," he said. "If I do good at their camp on the 13th, hopefully I can spark an offerThat'd be big-time. That's huge." BERGEN CATHOLIC DUO WORTH WATCHING: It's too early to say whether Notre Dame will offer Aeneas DiCosmo or Josh McKenzie, especially before seeing the 2019 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) teammates work out at Invasion tomorrow night, but it's not too early to say both should see huge boosts in their recruitments before their processes are over even if they don't chase the attention. Sources tell us both kids are modest about the recruiting process and aren't the types who are going to be running from camp to camp this summer for the sole reason of bolstering their offer sheets. Together, they've only taken a handful of unofficial visits to this point and they don't have plans to hit many schools this summer either. It's no mistake Notre Dame is one school both decided to visit. They were encouraged to look at a couple places they wanted to get this summer and South Bend was an easy choice for both, according to sources. One source told us, "In my opinion, you can't get a better fit than Notre Dame." That's especially true for McKenzie and DiCosmo, who are standout students in addition to standout players. McKenzie, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound running back with offers from schools like Rutgers, Temple, Boston College and Maryland already, should see that list grow quickly, if not this summer than this fall, once he gets a chance to show what he can do when he's completely healthy. DiCosmo's father was a three-year starter at Boston College before a being a professional wide receiver for a few years. One source called the younger DiCosmo "as much of a no-brainer as any kid I've been around." DiCosmo's interest in Notre Dame is legit and despite being a BC grad, we're told his father is "slowly becoming a Notre Dame fanSlowly getting leaned over. It's happening." Part of that conversion is due in part to the fact that he crossed paths with former Notre Dame running back and current Irish running backs coach Autry Denson during their time together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 1999. DiCosmo picked up a trio of offers over the least several weeks with Toledo, Boston College and Virginia all pulling the trigger. While the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder plays both ways and could be a tight end at the next level, the feeling now is that if he adds a couple inches, he could be a great defensive end and if not, he could settle in at outside linebacker. An AP student, DiCosmo and his family are really looking at using the process to find a great fit for him on the field and in the classroom. Obviously, the family ties to BC are strong and the Virginia offer certainly has his attention. Stanford is a school that's also high on his list, but we truly believe Notre Dame would have a huge say in this recruitment if the Irish decide they want to offer at some point. At least one source close to DiCosmo expects him to be blown away by Notre Dame this weekend. "When he gets there, he's going to lose his mind. I think he thinks he knows, but I don't think he really knows." TREMBLE SAYS POSTPONEMENT, NOT CANCELLATION: As we reported earlier this week, top 2018 Georgia tight end Tommy Tremble won't be on campus this weekend as initially expected, but does expect to visit later in the month instead. "I'm not able to go because my sister's graduation ended up being on the 10th," said Tremble, who has offers from schools like Notre Dame, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and a host of Ivy League offers among others. Tremble has already touched base with the Notre Dame coaching staff about the situation. "They said it's fine to reschedule," he said. "All of my family is coming into town. My mom and dad were like, 'You can't miss your family and your sister's graduation.' They said rescheduling it anywhere from the 21st to the 24th would be a good time. I'm definitely coming up between the 21st and the 24th." Tremble's father played at Georgia, but since he was offered by the Irish last month, we've maintained he's no lock to be a Bulldog. He's looking forward to his visit to South Bend. "I really want to see how the coaches are with the players," he said. "I was hoping to see their coaching style during the team. I also want to see campus and see how the facilities and all of that look up there." He's set to visit Tennessee next weekend and will be on the West Coast to check out UCLA and Fresno State soon. He's taking a methodical approach to the recruiting process. "I'll probably drop a Top 10 toward the end of the summer," he said. "After that, I'll take my time and take my five official visits. After taking my officials, that's when I'll probably make my decision." The Irish clearly have his attention. "With their great football program and the degree that comes with it, it's just very favorable to me and my family." SOME SCRATCHES: In addition to Tremble, there were some other scratches for the event, which is always the case.As ISD's Jamie Uyeyama reported yesterday, top 2019 defensive tackle target Jacob Lacey seems to be doubtful at this point as he's taking the ACT tomorrow. 2018 Michigan athlete Eli Collins told us he was also set to take the ACT today, so we're not expecting him. 2019 Pennsylvania wide receiver RJ Hart told us he was going to try to make it, but had a 7-on-7 tournament. GILMAN WOULD BE GREAT GET: As ISD Publisher Mike Frank reported earlier this week, we heard nothing but positives regarding Alohi Gilman's official visit to South Bend. The transfer target from Navy was a name that just popped up for us this week, so we reached out to somebody who has worked closely with the safety prospect for their thoughts on him as a player and a young man. "As a player, he's probably one of the best natural leaders in a quiet way," said the source, who has a decade's worth of experience in coaching. "He's very humble when you meet him, but when he gets onto the field, he's something else. He's very aggressive. People follow him, guys follow him. He's very instinctual. He's actually a guy that you would want to have on your team and have as a guy who other guys are going to follow. He's a special kid." This source said that while Gilman could play either safety spot, strong safety is his more natural fit. "He's a downhill player," the source said. "He's got some range, but I think his physical run game presence is his strong suit. "He can play in coverage no question, but if you're going to play Quarters and Cover-3, he's the guy to rock down and play in the box. That's what he's best at doing." Away from the game, this source is even more bullish on Gilman. "He's one of the best kids off the field. Smart kid, great with teachers, great in the hallways, great at being an all-around kid." SALYER SET TO RETURN: This week, we were able to confirm elite 2018 Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer does plan on returning to South Bend for another unofficial visit after being on campus for last year's Invasion. "He is coming," one source told us. "I don't know exactly when, but I know he's going back." When Salyer was last in South Bend, he was accompanying his former teammate and fellow offensive lineman at Pace Academy, Andrew Thomas, who was entering his senior year at the time. Now, it's Salyer's turn to take center stage. "He came there with Andrew, so it was a little different," the source said. "Whereas now, he's going pretty much on his own to get his own perspective. But he's a very smart kid and he keeps things in perspective, so I think he'll be able to gather all of the data and everything he needs to make a good assessment. "I know they're on his list now. I know he's excited about going back out and visiting and seeing it from a different perspective. The last time he was there, he was a little bit younger." That list, we're told, also includes Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, Stanford and Florida. "They seem to be the frontrunners right now," the source said of the group, including Notre Dame. We're nowhere near projecting Salyer to Notre Dame and, in all honesty, have serious doubts about whether we'll ever get there. But just being on that list and confirming that he plans to get back to South Bend alone are huge. It's hard to overstate how much of a coup it would be if the Irish were somehow able to swing Salyer. Quite frankly, Salyer would represent the crown jewel of Notre Dame's 2018 recruiting class. He's currently ranked #5 overall on the ISD Fab 50. Salyer has been going through the recruiting process for a long time, gathering offers from dozens of the nation's top programs and getting a serious understanding for what he's looking for. So the fact that the Irish are still hanging around has to be encouraging. "He's pretty solid and he knows what he wants and what he likes," the source said. "He won't be dragging this thing through the mud. "He doesn't play that recruiting game wasting people's time or his own." Not surprisingly, the blend of athletics and academics at Notre Dame is what has his attention as much as anything. "He's obviously a very sharp, sharp kid. Academics are very important to him and his mom. He's very excited about it. And obviously the tradition and the tradition outside of the athletic part of it, the school in general. You walk in with a Notre Dame degree and it's going to carry a lot of weight." ZAIRE WILL BE THE GUY IN GAINESVILLE: With official news that former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire is headed to Florida to complete his collegiate career, we reached out to a source in Gainesville to get an idea of what the quarterback position currently looks like for the Gators. "The quarterback situation at Florida has been nothing but a rollercoaster ride since Tim Tebow left," we were told. "Florida currently has a banged-up Luke Del Rio and two redshirt freshmen who simply are not ready for game action. That's why adding Malik Zaire was such an important move. Zaire instantly steps in to compete with Felipe Franks, but Franks is simply not ready. "Zaire's ability to not only pass but run is something that Florida wanted and needs. From everything we've been told Zaire will be the guy in September against Michigan"
ISD Intel (5/26)
Since the first time we talked with Thomas Booker, we were convinced the 2018 Maryland defensive lineman would be a fit for Notre Dame. But we also realized Booker would be a fit at several schools, so the question was whether he'd see the University in South Bend as potentially the fit for him. It's not yet certain if Notre Dame is the fit, but after speaking with him again this past weekend, there is no doubt the potential is there. A thoughtful, mature young man, Booker is taking a business-like approach to the recruiting process and Business could end up propelling Notre Dame to the top. Booker, who wants to major in Business, isn't just researching the background of the courses each school offers, but is also taking a close look at what majors the football players at each school are taking. He understands those don't always match. He wants to be challenged and wants to be surrounded by like-minded individuals, which is why he was especially struck by the Irish's current starting center. Booker knows fellow 2018 Maryland defensive lineman PJ Mustipher and was impressed to learn his brother, Sam, is enrolled in Notre Dame's challenging College of Engineering. Booker understands that's not the norm across college football and he's not looking for the norm. In addition to what it can offer in the classroom, Notre Dame is checking boxes on the athletic side of the ledger as well. It's obvious Booker loves Irish defensive line coach Mike Elston and sees him as a family guy. He was also very impressed with the time he spent with head coach Brian Kelly during his visit a couple months ago. There are other programs he's still taking a close look at especially Northwestern and his mother's alma mater, Duke, but it's hard not to get the sense the Irish have an edge. Michigan isn't under consideration and the longer Stanford goes explaining its "numbers game" instead of extending an offer, the closer the Cardinal could be to being out as well. There's been talk about a return to South Bend happening soon and we're told that will likely occur the fourth weekend of June. Booker isn't in a true rush to end his recruitment, so we're not sure he'd be on Commit Watch at that time, but Notre Dame will have a chance to establish itself as the absolute favorite. OWEH MANAGES EXPLOSION: Four months ago to the day, Jayson Oweh didn't have a single college football scholarship offer. The 2018 New Jersey defensive end landed his first offer from Rutgers on Jan. 27th. Today, he has almost two dozen from schools like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Georgia, Wisconsin, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt among several others. To say it's been dizzying would be an understatement. And Oweh may not have an opportunity to truly steady himself before he needs to make the biggest decision of his life to this point. He may be new to the college football recruiting scene, but the Blair Academy standout has already been schooled on how the process works. Oweh realizes the opportunities in front of him now won't be there forever and that if a school meets its quota at the position, he would have to look elsewhere. With that in mind, look for Oweh to make multiple swings this summer in an effort to bring the process to a close prior to his senior season. It looks like a Midwestern tour will begin in a couple weeks with stops at Ohio State and Wisconsin sandwiched around a trip to Notre Dame for Irish Invasion. Then, it'll likely be a journey down South to see schools like Virginia, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech. Many believe Penn State has an early edge and while Oweh isn't officially naming any leaders, there are some legitimate reasons to see the Nittany Lions as the favorites. Relationships are going to be important to Oweh and Penn State has been able to get a jump on others in that department. The feelings for James Franklin and his staff are very high and only improved during Oweh's stop at Happy Valley last weekend, where he was impressed by the atmosphere. He had a chance to spend a lot of time around the Penn State coaches and their families. Will he have enough time to get a similar feeling during his trip to South Bend, which could feel rushed between stops in Columbus and Madison? There's no doubt Penn State has an edge in terms of relationships right now, but that's because of the opportunity he's had to form those relationships and multiple sources have told us that edge is not insurmountable. In fact, Elston and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko made extremely strong first impressions on Oweh earlier this month. Oweh's family could get to Penn State in less than three hours to visit him and see him play, but as Elko was quick to point out, there's a direct flight from Newark, N.J., to South Bend, Ind., every day that would get them there in even less time. Academics will also be a crucial factor in the decision for Oweh, who wants to major in Engineering. He's already been looking at a list of the top 50 engineering colleges in the country and both Oweh and his family were impressed to learn he'd been offered scholarships by more than a dozen of them, including Notre Dame. And when he says academics will be important, he means it. We were told in no uncertain terms that Oweh is the kind of kid who will not overlook the offers he has from Harvard, Princeton and Dartmouth. In fact, one source told us Oweh sees the Ivy Leagues on par with the Power-5 schools that have offered and wouldn't rule those schools out by any means. It's been a lot for Oweh to juggle after just one year of varsity football. He's mindful of not missing out on a spot, but also understands how important it is for him to make the right decision. If he's 100 percent sure where he wants to go this summer, he'll pull the trigger. But what happens if he's only 90 percent sure? Well, we're not sure. FROM THE BUSHES: There are some reasons to believe the Irish staff will indeed have the chance to spend enough time with Oweh and other prospects during Invasion. In past years, there was a sense that things were rushed with prospects and staff members shuttling from one spot to another and then to work out and then to leave, which is why the Irish are expanding Invasion to two days this year. The first day, Saturday, will be the day of the camp, but Sunday will be an additional day for visitors to spend time on campus and with the staff. Even if guys like Oweh need to depart on Saturday night, having the extra day will give the staff added flexibility. There will be some big-name targets on campus for Invasion, but it's as important if not more important for the coaches to bring in players they still have questions about. Expect to see plenty of those types of targets on campus, which is good because it'll give the staff the ability to tighten up its board. That'll be a major focus of this year's event.Look for a good number of cornerbacks in the 2018 class to come work out as well as several 2019 quarterbacks who already have some decent offers and could blossom into national prospects. As we've said before, we felt Notre Dame had great shot at in-state cornerback DJ Johnson as soon as it extended the offer. The same goes for in-state linebacker Cameron McGrone, who could be a Rover candidate, now that he has an offer. Both are expected in for Invasion and the Irish could be in a position to land either or both shortly after. Other top 2018 targets the Irish have real strong shots at continue to included Florida wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr., Florida tight end George Takacs and Maryland defensive tackle Ja'mion Franklin. There's a growing sense of optimism surrounding Booker as well, but not quite to the degree of the previous three. Florida offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere is another prospect Notre Dame is in "great shape" with and as we've said repeatedly here, he's a crucial target for the Irish this cycle. So, what's next? The rest of the Notre Dame staff will come off the road today, after having used up every allowable day to recruit this spring. They will regroup next week, talk about all the prospects they saw on the road, re-watch some film and then reset their boards, both 2018 and 2019. A lot of names will come off the board and a lot of names will be added. Toward the end of next week, expect the staff to take some much-needed time off before they get ready for its first camp, which is Fantasy Camp, starting June 5th. As of now, we're not expecting any bad news from the team with summer approaching either of an academic or off-the-field nature, but oftentimes these things are unexpected. RUCKERT COMFORTABLE WITH FINAL FOUR: When the recruiting process began, 2018 New York tight end Jeremy Ruckert had a chance to visit many of the regional schools and was impressed with his first look at big-time college football facilities. Then, he had a chance to go down South and check out schools like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee and he was blown away. But then he did a Midwestern swing, first checking out Ohio State and Michigan before later dropping in at Notre Dame and Wisconsin, and found those schools to be a better fit for what he's looking for. A couple weeks ago, he officially announced the Buckeyes, Wolverines, Irish and Badgers as his top four. Despite continued overtures from other schools, Ruckert remains focused on those four. Many perceive Ohio State to be the favorite right now. We spoke with a source who wasn't sure there were any tiers within the top four, but guessed many think the Buckeyes are on top because they've been relentless in their pursuit with Urban Meyer even making a visit to Lindenhurst High School, where we're told he was "very impressive." But Ruckert seems to have formed relationships with coaches at each of his finalists, including Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long, who hasn't had as much time recruiting him as his peers. Despite not being officially hired at Notre Dame until January, Long has managed to make his presence felt in his own way. We're told Long has done a good job connecting with Ruckert without coming on too strong and that's something that appeals to the talented tight end. It's not clear if Ruckert will make another swing of visits before a decision, but it seems like he's leaning toward making a decision this summer and we know he will be out in Oregon for The Opening. ADEMILOLAS STAYING STRONG: It's always great to get recruits in the fold early in the process, before others realize their true potential. The challenge, though, is once others do recognize their potential, they're going to come after them hard. That's what Notre Dame is going through right now with 2018 New Jersey defensive line commits Justin and Jayson Ademilola. Well, in reality, Notre Dame has been going through that with the twins almost since the moment they committed to the Irish back in June. Initially, the twins and their coach at St. Peter's Prep, Rich Hansen, simply shut all of the other schools out, but there was no way that was going to last forever. In our video interview with the brothers earlier this week, Justin told us he asks his coach to respectfully keep other coaches away, but that too will be difficult to do for the next several months. So, don't be surprised if you hear there is some communication between the Ademilolas and other schools before the end of the process, not because they're looking around, but because it's almost impossible to get other schools from going after prospects like them. But, since their commitments, we've been told countless times the decision to go to Notre Dame is a comprehensive one and that sentiment was repeated to us again this weekend. The Ademilolas and their family are thrilled to be a part of the Notre Dame Football program and the history and tradition that comes with that. They are huge fans of Elston, Elko and Kelly. But if they were all gone tomorrow, we're still not sure the Ademilolas would be scrambling to find another landing spot. In fact, there never seemed to be any urgency to reassess their decisions even at the worst moments of last year's 4-8 season or during the uncertainty with the defensive staff. In addition to the football, the Ademilolas are excited about the educational opportunities at Notre Dame and about becoming a part of the Notre Dame network along with everything that entails. Despite the high expectations coming into the 2017 season, Brandon Wimbush hasn't had an opportunity to do much on the field yet in South Bend, but as a former St. Peter's Prep standout, his experiences off the field haven't gone unnoticed at all. Those are some of the messages the Ademiolas preaching to their friend and teammate, 2018 Rover prospect Shayne Simon, who is expected to make another visit to South Bend for next month's Invasion. This continues to look like a battle between Notre Dame and Michigan and we still feel the Irish have a better chance than many are giving them. Simon will cut his list down soon and while he isn't giving any hints away about who makes the cut, we'd be stunned if either Notre Dame or Michigan was left out. We're told Elko and Elston have both done a phenomenal job hitting all of the right notes with Simon to this point. Simon is definitely a quiet guy, but the respect he has within the St. Peter's Prep facility is almost tangible. In addition to being a tremendous asset on the field, Simon seems certain to be the future leader of a college defense wherever he ends up. GARDEN STATE SPROUTS: Penn State is still considered by many to be the leader for 2018 Pennsylvania wide receiver Shaquon Anderson-Butts, but at Sunday's Under Armour Regional in New Jersey, he listed Notre Dame as a likely official visit destination along with Oregon, Arizona State and Florida. That could be because he doesn't feel the need to use an official for the in-state school. Irish wide receiver coach Del Alexander has been pitching the opportunity to make an impact early. There also seems to be some genuine interest in the Irish from some of those closest to Anderson-Butts. 2019 New Jersey athlete Ronnie Hickman goes by "Rocket." We got a chance to see why during the Under Armour camp as Hickman was virtually unguardable at receiver. He's done a good job of getting out to see all of the schools that have offered him and sources tell us he will definitely get out to South Bend to see Notre Dame. A nice, polite young man, we think he'll be impressed. Hickman does remain committed to Rutgers for lacrosse, although a source tells us, "But he's not playing lacrosse in college, so." 2019 Pennsylvania wide receiver RJ Hart will be in South Bend for Irish Invasion. He has early offers from Temple, Toledo and Howard and said an offer from the Irish would be "really special." 2019 Bergen Catholic running back Rahmir Johnson already has offers from Rutgers, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Temple and Toledo. He's heard a bit from Notre Dame and is hoping to make it to Invasion, but has to clear it with his coach first. Elko has been in touch with Johnson and has expressed a sincere amount of interest in the young speedster. 2019 Orange cornerback Nyquee Hawkins has offers from schools like Penn State, Michigan, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, North Carolina and NC State among others. He's received some initial interest from Notre Dame and it's a school he has interest in as well, but seems focused on the schools that have already extended offers for the most part. At 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds, 2019 Connecticut athlete Bryce Sebastian wasn't the biggest prospect competing at St. Joseph's Regional High School on Sunday, but he kept coming up with huge plays. The cousin of former Notre Dame graduate transfer Avery Sebastian and former Cheshire Academy teammate of Irish freshman CJ Holmes, Sebastian has plenty of Irish connections. Notre Dame has invited him to Invasion and he hopes to make it, but those plans haven't been finalized. It was interesting to spend several hours hitting the trail in the Garden State if just to get an idea of how some programs treat the state. Michigan and Alabama were both in the state at the same time and they even seem to treat the state differently. Michigan had multiple assistants in the state on Sunday and Monday, including former Paramus Catholic head coach Chris Partridge, and it's obvious the Wolverines place a great deal of value on the state. Alabama sees value in the state as well, especially after a pair of amazing seasons from former St. Peter's Prep standout Minkah Fitzpatrick, but it's probably not as high on the list as some other states. In fact, while we were in one school, a Crimson Tide assistant was trying to get a hold of a coach we were meeting with. We were surprised when the coach silenced the call to keep talking, saying he hadn't heard a thing from Alabama in months. That doesn't seem to be an isolated incident for SEC schools. A different coach told us one of his players had received multiple offers, including an SEC one, from programs that had never even contacted him directly. He speculated it was a chance to gauge a prospect's interest and/or be able to say, 'Hey, we offered him. He wasn't interested,' if the kid turns into a star. Either way, this prospect won't be considering schools that don't make a true effort. The rivalries within state among the high schools are real. Multiple times we heard, 'Why would you want to go there?' when explaining our itinerary and it wasn't always half-kidding. Still, there's an amazing amount of respect for fellow coaches and players within the state. We asked one coach about the Ademilolas and he took that as a chance to throw in his thoughts on Simon as well. "They're good," we were told. "The safety there is really good." When one coach mentioned a quarterback who may be worth looking at, he quickly brushed himself off, saying, "You guys don't need a QB, you got Wimbush."
