Isaiah Williams

St. Louis' Isaiah Williams is closing in on 50 scholarship offers and Notre Dame is one he says he's still considering.

A look at some of the key prospects Notre Dame will be recruiting in the Class of 2019.

New Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long can thank Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois at least in part for some of the versatility he'll have at his disposal during his first year calling plays for the Irish. Midway through spring practice, Tony Jones has emerged as a player likely to provide Notre Dame with valuable snaps at the running back position. At 5-11, 224 pounds, Jones figured to be the biggest contender for short-yardage and inside running, but he continues to prove effective in the passing game as well. Jones flashed that ability on a national stage at The Opening Finals prior to his senior season of high school football and is partially due to his roommate at IMG Academy and current Seminole quarterback Deondre Francois. "Francois would make him get up at 4:30 in the morning and go catch for him," a source told Irish Sports Daily this week. "He would get up every morning at 4:30 before they went and worked out at 6. "He likes running routes, he just happens to have a different body. He thinks he's a wide receiver to be honest with you, but he's not a wide receiver. He's a running back. He runs great routes and he's going to surprise a linebacker in space." Onlookers at the prestigious 7-on-7 Opening Tournament a couple summers ago, were surprised to see Jones be more productive than more athletic receiver-types, but there no was no debate that he was. It seems like the Irish too are ready to take advantage of a skillset unique for his body type. "You have a guy who was an All-State outfielder at IMG," we were told. "He's been tracking down a little ball his entire life with a glove, so shoot, that big ball ain't that hard to track down. It's really about hand-eye coordination and he has great hand-eye coordination." But Jones' emergence so far this spring goes beyond just catching balls out of the backfield and probably dates back to his redshirt season last fall. "Number one, I would say his will to win and just having to watch he's always worked hard, but it just made him focus in more on his lower body, his core and just getting bigger, faster and stronger," we were told as to what to attribute his apparent breakout to. "I think he's always bought in. He went to IMG, so he couldn't help but to buy into weight lifting, but I think he's bought into it with having to watch and sit and learn. Not only is it a humbling experience, but I think it makes you a little more thirsty than you probably were previously. He's bigger, he's faster and he's stronger. It's cut and dried." Jones felt he was good enough to play last fall and although he appreciates what sitting out means for his future both athletically and academically, it did provide plenty of motivation. "I think it made him realize, 'I've got to leave this thing without a shadow of a doubt that I need to be on the field,'" we were told. The work Jones put in during the offseason is evident just from looking at him. He's worked to keep his speed while packing on the pounds. In fact, after a dazzling run during a practice last week, he was overheard excitedly saying, "I need to get just a little bit faster." "He may get in the secondary and get caught by Troy, but everybody will probably get caught by Troy," the source laughed. Unlike last season though, expect Jones to have the chance at getting caught by other teams' defensive backs this fall. 10 AND 10: We're putting together a feature story for next week looking at 10 of the top targets to watch for Notre Dame in both the 2018 and 2019 classes. Some of the names will be obvious, but we wanted to give you a sneak peek at some of the names that are likely to be included that may fall in the not-so-obvious category. Florida offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, defensive tackle Tyreke Smith and defensive backs Shayne Simon and Talanoa Hufanga are all under serious consideration to be included on the 2018 list. Petit-Frere was in South Bend last month and by all accounts was seriously impressed. In fact, we now see him as Notre Dame's most likely offensive line commit, surpassing Michigan's Ryan Hayes, who was also on campus at the same time. For weeks, we've talked about the importance of getting Smith back on campus after he had to postpone a previously-scheduled visit. As of yesterday, Smith told us there's a chance he could be back in South Bend as soon as this weekend. Now that Ohio State has offered, the Buckeyes are considered by many to be the favorites, but this thing isn't over yet and the Irish should have a say before it is. We continue to see both Simon and Hufanga as legitimate targets and expect to see their recruitments with Notre Dame pick up steam in the months to come. Obviously, a 2019 list will be a lot looser at this point. Still, some targets we believe the Irish have really good shots at right now include Tennessee defensive end Joseph Anderson, St. Louis athlete Isaiah Williams and Ohio defensive end Zach Harrison, who have all been on campus within the last two weeks. Another prospect to keep an eye on who the Irish likely have a better chance at than some may realize is Dallas safety Brian Williams. 2018 TEXAS SAFETY SERIOUS ABOUT ND: Following his visit to Notre Dame last weekend, Christian Morgan told us the Irish would zoom to the top spot on his list if they were to offer. The 2018 Texas defensive back's head coach at Porter High School told us Morgan is a measured young man, but that his excitement about Notre Dame is real. "I've talked to him a little bit," Jim Holley told ISD this week. "I think he's very excited about Notre Dame. He loved the campus and he loves the program. Who knows what might happen when things do or don't come to pass, but I know he really enjoyed his visit and had a really, really good time. I know it's high on his radar as far as places he would love to be at." According to Holley, it was a combination of the school, the program and the people that grabbed Morgan's attention."I think he was impressed by the coaches there who he visited with," the coach said. "Obviously, it's Notre Dame. Anytime you get a chance to go up there and visit Notre Dame, I think that's impressive in itself. "It's one of the top programs in the country with a lot of history and a lot of tradition. It's very rich in those things. These kids, they understand that and they get that. To say you're probably in awe when you go to a place like that, I think there's probably a little truth to that." The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder currently has offers from Baylor, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Northwestern among others. He's definitely going to garner more attention after his performance at The Opening Regional in Chicago last Sunday, which earned him an invite to The Opening Finals this summer in Oregon. Despite the fact the Irish haven't offered yet, we consider their interest in Morgan to be legit.https://www.hudl.com/video/3/4530941/5852e5b9ff0d1a0d10bb5990 GRIFFITH STAYS IN TOUCH WITH IRISH PLAYERS: Earlier this week, 2018 IMG cornerback Houston Griffith told us that since he's been to Notre Dame so often, a good portion of his remaining months as an uncommitted recruit will be about getting to know the players in South Bend. In reality though, he already knows a few of the Irish players well. "Sometimes the players will reach out to me and I'll just ask them a couple questions about it," Griffith said. "I talk to CJ Holmes, Isaiah (Robertson) and Julian (Love). They always tell me good things about it." Griffith knows Robertson and Love from his days in Illinois, where he is from and went to school before transferring to IMG last year. "They told me it's a great opportunity if I choose to do it," said Griffith. "We all played on the same 7-on-7 team, so we call it the Boom Pipeline. They want to continue the Boom Pipeline to Notre Dame." The relationship with Holmes doesn't stretch back as far, but could also be beneficial for the Irish. "I met CJ at the Irish Invasion, so I've been talking to him since after he committed. He just tells me things. When I went there, I just chilled with him after practice. We were just talking about the school and how the coaches are and everything." MICAH DOING HIS PART: In addition to the three 2018 targets Thomas Booker, George Takacs and Michael Dowell on campus last weekend, Irish wide receiver commit Micah Jones also made it back down to South Bend. Jones was in town to continue getting comfortable with his future home as well as his future teammates and classmates, but that didn't stop him from trying to convince his fellow visitors to eventually join him. "I actually did get the chance to talk to all three of them and I got to talk to all three of their families," Jones said. "I just told them about what Notre Dame was about and tried to get them to come down. "I definitely mention the education you can get at Notre Dame. It's a great institution. On top of it being a great institution, you can play football there and go to the NFL there just like you can go to the NFL coming out of Ohio State. They have big offers, most of the kids who go to Notre Dame have big offers. It's just having the ability to go to the NFL and on top of that, having that great education as well, that's what I really stressed with them." He feels like each one enjoyed themselves and even got some positive feedback afterward. "They all said they liked it," Jones explained. "I got a couple DMs from them saying they liked it. Some of them are committing soon, we'll see what happens. Hopefully they liked it and hopefully we'll have another commit." Jones knows it's important to find a balance between keeping in touch without overstepping his bounds. "They get enough of that," he said of constantly recruiting. "I try to stay in touch with them over Twitter and DM them some times and make sure they know I'm still here." CARROLL COOL WITH WAITING: No matter what class you're in, it can be disappointing to visit a school and leave without an offer, especially when dozens of other top programs have already deemed you "offer-worthy." But not for Quinn Carroll. The 2019 Minnesota offensive lineman currently has offers from schools like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, UCLA and USC among several others. Even after a visit to South Bend last weekend for the Irish's Sophomore Day, Notre Dame still falls in the "Interested" column instead of the "Offered" column on Carroll's profile, but that's not a problem for him. "That's completely fine with me," Carroll told ISD this week. "I'm not going to make my decision for a while, so I encourage them to do their research." In fact, Carroll only took away positives from his visit. "It was great!" he added. "I loved being able to see the coaches work and develop the players." Carroll liked getting a peek at Irish offensive line coach Harry Hiestand's methods. "I think he is real with the players," he said. "He will coach them up and get in their face if need be and love you up afterward. He truly believes kids need to be pushed physically and mentally in order to be successful. I also think his track record for production of o-linemen is outstanding." CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO BUILD: At some point, virtually everybody we talk to around the program eventually brings up the improvements in Notre Dame's strength and conditioning department. The more time passes, the more the changes become evident. "Everybody's bodies look different," one source said. "Daelin's body looks different, Josh's body looks different. Tony's body looks different. It's a tribute to buying into the weight program." It's obvious the players were ready to wipe the taste of last season as quickly as possible and they realized they didn't have to wait to do so. "Realizing that plays are not made between August and November," one source said. "Plays are made between January and July or August. That's when the plays are made." The physical gains will obviously pay off in fourth quarters this fall, but there has to be an increased level of mental confidence as well knowing they're now putting in the kind of work required to be successful. Additionally, one source believes the Irish be able to play faster because of changes made by the coaching staff. "The defense is a little simpler, one call. The offense is simpler. They're going to be alright. Less thinking, more testosterone, more fortitude." 2019 TEXAS TEAMMATES TO WATCH: NaNa Osafo-Mensah is going through one of those stretches that often happens in a prospect's transition from a relatively-unknown to a known commodity. The 6-foot-4, 217-pounder from Fort Worth, Texas only picked up his first offer a month ago, but it was a big one from Texas A&M. Baylor followed suit a week later and just this week, Osafo-Mensah added Georgia, Utah and Colorado to the mix. Stanford and UCLA have also shown some serious interest. The Nolan Catholic High School standout has a legitimate interest in Notre Dame, especially because of the spiritual aspect of the school and said it's a school he would "definitely" consider seriously. http://www.hudl.com/video/3/6037367/5838b338dfd8b72524bd4cdd Osafo-Mensah will get some help at his position this fall with another 2019 linebacker transferring into Nolan Catholic in Chance Cover. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Cover is still waiting on his first offer, but has drawn a considerable amount of interest from in-state and regional powers and it seems like only a matter of time before he starts stacking them up as well. Cover, too, loves the faith-based aspect that Notre Dame offers, which is a big reason why he made the move to Nolan Catholic. He's also noticed how Notre Dame has been able to develop players and prepare them for the level after college.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/6037527/57d5a34aed57ef6bb8b15b2e HOOPS PROGRAM HAS OPTIONS MOVING FORWARD: The ending wasn't what they wanted and it didn't include an Elite Eight run like the previous two, but by all accounts, the Irish's 2016-17 basketball season was a successful one. Now, Notre Dame looks ahead, specifically toward improving its roster. The Irish have multiple different avenues at their disposal in that pursuit. 2017 forward D.J. Harvey is already signed and ready to arrive, but now that Matt Ryan has begun the transfer process, that could open up a spot to bring in another current senior. And with players being let out of their signed National Letters of Intent following coaching changes at an increasing rate, there are more options than usual should the Irish choose to look at dipping back into the 2017 class for another player. We're not sure Notre Dame is close to landing another 2017 or if they will, but we expect them to investigate and see if there's a fit now that the situation has changed a little with Ryan's departure. It's no secret the Irish have been looking at bringing in another big man via transfer and that pursuit continues. Bonzie Colson, Martin Geben and Austin Torres will all be gone by the end of next season and while Notre Dame is high on Elijah Burns and John Mooney, there's a need to add to those youngsters. One name to keep an eye on is Juwan Durham, who announced his plans to transfer from UConn earlier this week. The 6-foot-11, 207-pounder from Florida was on Notre Dame's radar a bit in high school, but he struggled with injuries in his final years at Tampa Prep. He tore his ACL in his junior season only to tear the other one during his senior year. He didn't put up great numbers in his one year with the Huskies, but did average eight minutes in 28 games. Could he be the kind of kid who could bounce back after sitting out and getting stronger for a year as a transfer? Possibly and since the Irish already know he can play, it seems like he'd be worth the investment. Additionally, the Irish could look at bringing in a fifth-year transfer, something they haven't really done in the past. This is another avenue where they could potentially find a replacement for Ryan. However, it would really have to be a fit as Notre Dame's program rewards players for accepting certain roles early in their careers in order to see those roles expand later. Any fifth-year transfer is going to go to a place he knows he's going to get on the court and the Irish would have to be careful not to disrupt the chemistry within the team by having somebody essentially cut the line. But, another part of the Irish's recent success is players like Matt Farrell not being afraid to compete and excelling when forced to earn their playing time. Maybe bringing in a veteran could foster a positive competitive environment. Notre Dame shouldn't feel the need to force a situation that doesn't fit though, especially since the Irish are high on the futures of TJ Gibbs and Rex Pflueger as well as Nik Djogo, who redshirted this season. Djogo has worked very hard, increased his strength and improved his overall game. Still, much of the focus will be on 2018 recruiting. The Irish staff will be at multiple events at the end of the month; everywhere from Indianapolis to Dallas to Atlanta to Virginia and New York City. The sneaker showcase tournaments will give Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey a good opportunity to scout much of the talent his assistants have been looking at for months now. It can be difficult for Brey to get on the road as much as his staff during the season, but these events do offer an opportunity to see many of the players on the Notre Dame board go head to head, which allows for even greater insight into evaluations.