2021 ATH Eliminates Notre Dame
2021 Campbell (Hawaii) ATH Titus Mokiao-Atimalala named his top six on Friday and Notre Dame did not make the cut. It's not a huge surprise as the Irish saw him as more of a defensive back, while Mokiao-Atimalala had been very vocal since I saw him at the Polynesian Bowl about playing receiver. The four-star prospect will choose from Central Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Nebraska, UCLA and USC.
A few recruiting notes
I would put in a prediction for 2021 Valrico (Fla.) cornerback Philip Riley for Notre Dame, but it's been set for the Irish since May. In talking to a few sources over the last few weeks, Riley seems to be leaning back towards Notre Dame after decommitting and committing to USC last month.Riley hasn't made a final call silently or publicly from what I've been told and he likely won't make one for a while, at least publicly. If Riley does end up back in the class, Mike Mickens, Clark Lea and company deserve a great deal of credit.https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9590903/5f7906c8b53ef50618e7c15a-----2021 Highland Springs (Va.) defensive tackle Kelvin Gilliam is a name to keep a close eye on moving forward as the early signing period is quickly approaching. The four-star prospect is currently committed to Oklahoma, but the staff has been in contact with him over the last month or so. Multiple sources advised me of a Zoom call set for Monday night between the Gilliam family and the Irish staff. If there was ever a time to make a serious move, it would be days after beating the No. 1 team in the country and sealing the game with back-to-back sacks. I'm also told Gilliam has started to do his own research on Notre Dame and that's a good sign that there is mutual and sincere interest from his end.https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9911956/5d88e75190f90210d0929a11-----2021 Campbell (Hawaii) athlete Titus Mokiao-Atimalala is a name that's somewhat been quiet with Notre Dame over the last month. It's clear he wants to play receiver and Notre Dame has always had him penciled in as a safety. As we've told you before, Notre Dame is likely open to him starting at WR, but other programs haven't pitched him on DB, so it's an interesting decision for the four-star prospect. The good news for Notre Dame is he is planning to commit in January or later, so there is a chance he could get to make a visit to South Bend if the NCAA lifts the Dead Period. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7780413/5db4964b2aa6860c04467b5a-----The recruitment of 2021 Loyola (Calif.) cornerback Ceyair Wright is going to be interesting to watch down the stretch. Some folks feel Notre Dame is the leader while others feels USC and Stanford are out in front. I mentioned last week, Wright is trying to get to South Bend in December for the Syracuse game or possibly later, but nothing has been locked in just yet. It's been beaten to death, but some feel acting is going to be part of his decision, but a source told me last week Wright wants to major in Business and do something in film as a minor. Obviously, that's good news for Notre Dame, but also the strengths of USC and Stanford as well. Don't be surprised to see Wright start to make some independent visits over the next month as well, but also don't get overly down on them. A source close to Wright says they are more for the experience since he didn't get to take official visits and despite all the rumors of him potentially going to Oregon or other schools, Notre Dame, Stanford and USC have remained the teams to beat. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9778268/5deb15f40dbfac0dd879e054-----If you missed the update on 2021 Punahou (Hawaii) linebacker Kahanu Kia from his visit over the weekend, here's the link: 2021 LB Kahanu Kia Blown Away by Notre Dame VisitI think Notre Dame leads as he'll visit UCLA and Stanford before heading back to Hawaii. I do think Stanford is a program to watch out for a number of reasons, so it will be interesting see what he thinks of his visit. He's close friends with freshman Stanford DB Alaka'i Gilman, the younger brother of Alohi Gilman, so it's not a shock that Gilman has put in a good word for the Cardinal. I don't believe Kia is looking to draw his recruitment out, so I believe he'll have a decision sooner than later after he gets home and is able to process everything. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9628208/5dc1c8c0d468bc1074efe61e-----And as Mike has stated, Notre Dame is kicking the tires with a few prospects committed to other schools. Some have visited Notre Dame before, so it could be something to watch, but it's still in the early stages where it's a little different than Gilliam's situation, so if there is traction there, we'll give you updates in real time as always.
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2021 Four-Star ATH Includes ND in Top 10
2021 Ewa Beach (Hawaii) ATH Titus Mokiao-Atimalala has come out with his top 10. Notre Dame, Central Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, UCLA, USC, Utah and Virginia will battle it out for the four-star prospect. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7780413/5db4964b2aa6860c04467b5a