Mekai Brown

- I believe Notre Dame is firmly in the mix for 2027 Texas safety commit Karnell James following his first visit to South Bend. Folks in Texas were nervous that Williams was making this visit because he's a Notre Dame kid and that showed itself during the visit. As Christian reported, Williams will be back for an official visit to Notre Dame on June 11th. Right now, it seems like a battle between LSU, Notre Dame and Texas. A source in Texas believes LSU likely has the highest NIL offer on the table, but that stuff likely doesn't matter a ton right now as Williams will take his officials. - Notre Dame made sure 2027 receiver Julius Jones Jr. and 2028 defensive back Andre Jones had another good experience. It was the second recruiting visit for the Jones family and the Notre Dame staff rolled out the red carpet, which included offering the younger Jones brother. I believe the family knows Jones is needed in South Bend so it'll be interesting to see where this goes in the coming months. - I also believe Notre Dame did a nice job with 2027 offensive linemen Luke Starcevic and Layton Von Brandt. In my opinion, Von Brandt had the Irish leading going into this visit and they continue to lead. This is turning into a battle between Notre Dame and Florida and I think those around Von Brandt prefer the Irish. - 2027 IMG Academy (Fla.) receiver Osani Gayles made his first trip to Notre Dame and we'll see what comes from it. He's a highly coveted receiver, so it's a process. I do believe Marcus Freeman made a strong impression on the family as he spent some quality time with them. - 2027 defensive lineman Alifeleti Tuihalamaka is a great fit for Notre Dame, which shouldn't come as a surprise after covering his brother, Junior, over the last four seasons. Notre Dame did a good job of showing Tuihalamaka what they could do for him, which was important as he was already familiar with the program from making multiple visits throughout the last few years. Junior was on the visit this weekend as well. - In talking to sources, I feel Notre Dame made a strong move with 2027 athlete Brennen Lacey, who made his first trip to South Bend. As mentioned on Friday, Notre Dame was in communication with its two running back commits before the visit to explain why they were hosting him. Lacey is another Notre Dame kid and he saw how he'd fit into that culture. He's also aware Notre Dame was in on him early and helped his recruitment blow up. That said, some of the nation's best are after him, so we'll see how the rest of the spring shakes out. - 2027 defensive end Mekai Brown made his first trip to Notre Dame and I think the staff has more work to do following the visit. Brown released a top five of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and USC earlier this week. Right now, I'd lean towards USC having an inside track. Under Armour Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish Replica Football Jersey