ISD Intel (6/23)
Just a couple weeks ago, Notre Dame seemed like a definite longshot for Jamaree Salyer. The Irish are still far from the favorite for the elite 2018 offensive lineman from Georgia, but getting him to agree to a third campus visit last weekend was a solid first step and the visit itself was much more than that. We spoke with a source close to Salyer who had nothing but positive reviews of the trip. "He said he had a really good time," the source told us. "He said he really enjoyed it." Salyer visited South Bend twice last year, but was with his teammate, 2017 offensive line target Andrew Thomas, so this visit was good because it was all about him. "When he was up there last summer, he didn't really have a chance to experience it the way he did this time," the source said. "He said he really liked it, really enjoyed it. Mom had a good time. They said they really liked it. "It seems like being able to be by himself and really meet the guys, the offensive linemen and talk to them. The things he has in common with those guys at Notre Dame is what Jamaree is all about; academics, serious business, school is very important, social aspect is very important. He's all business and I think the guys at Notre Dame are cut from the same mold as him. Some guys are from well-to-do families and some guys are from families like he's from who had to struggle at times." Notre Dame has recruited Pace Academy hard in years past and while the Irish have yet to land a top prospect from the school, they'll almost always have a shot based on the similarities of the two schools. "You've got Arthur Blank's family and then you've got guys from the other side of the track, guys from APS, Atlanta Public Schools, going to Pace," the source said. "Notre Dame has that feel too. "You go to Pace to go to a place like Notre Dame or Stanford or Duke, it's a different type of deal. It doesn't make you any better or any worse than anybody, but those kinds of schools complement one another with where you're coming from." A separate source agreed that impressing Salyer's mom and some in South Bend feel confident the Irish are gaining ground fast. "Mom has a big influence over Jamaree and his decision," we were told. "Obviously, the final decision is going to be his call, but her input will be taken into great consideration." Salyer will be back at Ohio State and Clemson for major recruiting events in the weeks to come. He's expected to announce a list of six or seven favorites very soon. Will Notre Dame be included on that list? "Oh yeah," said the source, who added Salyer already has his eye on returning to South Bend for the Georgia game in September. Putting on an impressive performance against Salyer's in-state Bulldogs could go a long way for Notre Dame's chances, but a loss won't eliminate the Irish either. "He's not that shallow," said the source. "He can see past all of that. "But it'd help if they beat Georgia, I can tell you that." FROM THE BUSHES: Finishing out the offensive line class with Salyer and Nicholas Petit-Frere would be an amazing close, but the Irish know they have to continue digging deeper and those evaluations will likely extend into the beginning of many prospects' senior seasons, so expect the Irish to go hard after some new names once they have a better feel for how they believe they stack up against each other. Notre Dame definitely opened Jayson Oweh's eyes during the 2018 New Jersey defensive end's visit for Invasion. It seems Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko did a good job of explaining his vision of the defense and a lot of guys, including Oweh, are buying into wanting to be a part of rebuilding the Irish defense. Ohio State and Penn State are obviously two to be concerned with, but the Irish just need to stay in the race here, play well, get him back for an official visit in the fall and they should have a shot. We continue to hear positive things regarding Notre Dame's chances with Shayne Simon from both sides of the situation. The 2018 New Jersey Rover prospect is another guy who seems excited by the idea of being a key piece in the Notre Dame defensive rebuild. The hope is that he'll decide before the season, but Simon has been tight-lipped about any specific date or timeframe. Local 2018 safety Paul Moala put on quite a display at Invasion, which helped him earn his Irish offers. He clearly opened the eyes of many with his performance. Stanford could be in play here, but Notre Dame appears to be in a strong position. 2019 Oklahoma tight end Grayson Boomer is really high on Notre Dame's board and sources in addition to Boomer himself have told us he really enjoyed his visit and plans to return. He's been adamant that he's no lock to stay in-state, but it still seems like Oklahoma is the clear team to beat. It's obvious 2019 Kentucky defensive tackle Jacob Lacey is working toward a decision and Notre Dame has to like where it stands. Lacey had already visited South Bend several times with his father and as we mentioned last week, it was key to get his mother on campus for the most recent visit and she really enjoyed the academic aspect of it all. Another recruitment where Stanford could emerge as a contender. Things seemed to have gone really well with 2019 safety Litchfield Ajavon. He's an elite safety and a Notre Dame type of kid. It was important to get him around Elko, which should really help the Irish's chances. There's no doubt he likes Notre Dame, but it's going to be a huge battle for him. The camps continue this weekend with multiple prospects continuing to descend on South Bend. It sounds like the competition during the Lineman's Challenge on Saturday will be steep while dozens of high school squads will be in town for Notre Dame's 7-on-7 passing camp. NO HARD FEELINGS FOR McGRONE WITH DELAYED ND OFFER: Cameron McGrone had offers from schools like Wisconsin, Tennessee, Indiana, Northwestern, Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue, Maryland and Kentucky and several others by the time Notre Dame extended an offer of its own a month ago. But that wait won't be a turnoff for the 2018 Indianapolis linebacker/safety. "I think for some kids it would be, but not for Cameron," one source close to McGrone told Irish Sports Daily this week. "He understood why they waited." The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder suffered a torn ACL in the last regular season game of his junior season. "The next day, he went to Notre Dame to be on the sidelines for one of their recruiting days," we were told. "They're recruiting this guy and he shows up on crutches with a torn ACL and they had no idea. "He understood they would take a wait-and-see approach, but once they saw him this spring moving around, they saw how quickly he recovered, which has been amazing. He had no qualms about the fact they held off on the offer." A separate source confirmed that everything looks good with McGrone's knee and seems to be just fine, which is why so many top programs are now coming at him hard. The Irish would have loved to have had him in the fold by now, but he visited Michigan yesterday and now that the Wolverines have offered, this process could slow down even more. 2019 VA DE STAYING FOCUSED ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT: There's no need to worry about Brandon Smith letting the offers get to his head. In fact, while the 2019 Virginia defensive end is grateful to have picked up offers from schools like Florida State, Penn State, South Carolina and Tennessee among others in recent weeks, that is far from the focus for him or his family. "From our standpoint, we don't necessarily look at schools every time they talk to offer," Smith's father told Irish Sports Daily this week. "What we're interested in is the relationship and what is it that you have that separates your school from other schools and may be a good fit for our son? "Some schools don't really sell that, other schools do. Some schools don't really build a relationship, other schools do." Led by assistant Clark Lea, Notre Dame has proven to be one of the schools that has done exactly that, which is one reason why Smith will be in South Bend for a visit today. "A lot of schools are going to offer you because other schools are offering you, but Notre Dame is one of those schools that has come in, showed interest and built a relationship with him through talking and visiting," Mr. Smith told us. "Knowing that it's a great academic school as well as being rich in tradition, it's a small school with a beautiful campus, that's what we're looking for. We want him to be interested in a school that's been interested in him from the beginning and not one that is just throwing an offer out just to throw one out. Notre Dame has definitely built a good relationship." The fact that the Smiths made the 11-hour drive out to South Bend shows how serious their interest is in Notre Dame. "Based on the relationship and what we already know, it'll be definitely worthwhile to take the trip out there and get to know the coaches a little bit more," said Mr. Smith. "We're just looking forward to getting to know more about the school, the coaches and definitely getting a chance to see the campus. "They have built a relationship that is worthy of us going up there. Whether he gets an offer or not, going up there and seeing the campus, meeting the coaches, having an opportunity to get around the coaches and work out to probably validate what they've already seen on film, it's a good experience for him and for us as parents." And it's a school Smith's parents would have no problem sending him to. "We'd be 11 hours away, but Notre Dame plays on TV every week, so whatever games you can't get to, you can watch on TV. When you're a Top 10 academic school in the country, it speaks for itself and then you take the football tradition at Notre Dame and all of that, for us, is definitely a big attraction." BONO ONE TO WATCH: 2019 Ohio defensive end Spencer Bono will also be working out at tomorrow's Linemen's Challenge. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder has offers from Boston College, Iowa, Cincinnati and Toledo already and is also receiving interest from schools like Ohio State, Michigan State and Louisville. He plays at Elder High School in Cincinnati, a school that has produced players like Tommy Kraemer and Kyle Rudolph. We touched base with a source familiar with Bono earlier this week. "I think he could be a big-time recruit," the source said. As Bono told us himself, he's big on academics, so Boston College is a school that definitely has his attention, but from what we hear, he's not a kid who seems enamored with Ohio State. HICKS COMING FOR THE WORK: Marcus Hicks is another 2019 defensive end camping at Notre Dame tomorrow who seems destined to continue emerging as a national prospect. The Kansas native already has offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder is excited for his first chance to see South Bend. "If you don't get jacked to go to Notre Dame, something is wrong with you," one source told us. But adding an offer from the Irish isn't the primary reason he's making the trip. "More for a great experience, learning some new things and for him to get some really good competition going against some of the best kids in the country," we were told. "Really hoping it helps him grow in his development. "But an offer would be lovely." He wouldn't take offense to not being offered right away though. "Marcus doesn't have that kind of personality," we were told. "Sometimes it's hard to know what he's thinking because he doesn't show a whole lot of emotion. He would like to get an offer any kid would but he just takes them as they come. He doesn't get too down or too high about anything." Notre Dame would be a school taken under serious consideration if an offer is made, whenever that may be, but at this point Hicks has no favorites. "Marcus is wide open at this point," the source said. "He's a smart kid. He has an open mind. He's just going through the process, he's not stressing about it. It's kind of amazing to watch. WHAT'S ELKO'S CEILING AT ND?: We don't know the answer to that question yet, but we can say pretty definitively that he can get the Irish playing at a high level. He did so at Wake Forest last year with his defense ranked 22nd in S&P+, 18th on third down, 23rd in scoring defense and 28th in havoc rate (TFLs + passes defended + forced fumbles divided by number of total plays). The thought has always been that if he could do that well with Wake Forest's talent, what could he do with the talent in South Bend? It's logical to think he can improve on the kind of statistical success he had at Wake Forest because of that talent upgrade, but also because he should have at the very least an adequate offense on the other side of things that should put points and yards on the board. His defense had barely any support from the offense last year at Wake. Whether it was Wakeyleaks that stunted the offensive performance or below average talent across the board at every position, calling the Demon Deacons' offense anemic might not be harsh enough. They weren't explosive, finishing 115th in the nation in plays 20 yards or longer. They struggled to score, averaging only 20.4 points per game (118th). They were bad in the red zone and bad at making first downs (119th). They only averaged 1.2 first downs per possession (122nd). That leads into the next stat that made things even more difficult for Elko's defense: Wake's offense was 103rd in the nation in three-and-out rate. Almost a quarter of the time, the offense took the field and the defense was forced to come back out immediately. That's not only physically taxing for a defense, but mentally as well. In the three years Elko was at Wake Forest, the offense never cracked the top 115 in scoring offense. There was a ridiculous amount of pressure on his defense and if they had even a tiny bit of support from the offense, it's possible that they could have been a top 10 defense last season. He should get that support from Notre Dame's offense in 2017. Even an average offense would be a tremendous improvement, but when you consider Chip Long led an offense last season that was in the top 15 in scoring and was 27th in three-and-out rate, Elko's defense finally won't have all the burden on them. Could that and more talent lead to a championship-level defense eventually at Notre Dame? We're not ruling it out as a possibility. CARMODY CAN PLAY: The Notre Dame men's basketball program landed a player it's wanted for a while with the commitment of 2018 Pennsylvania shooting guard Robby Carmody on Thursday. We spoke to a source close to the situation to find out what the 6-foot-4, 185-pounder will bring to the Irish. "He brings toughness, shooting and a great feel for the game," said the source, pointing out that Carmody's father serves as his high school coach at Mars High School. "He's got some bounce, very good rebounder. Kind of a power wing as a driver. Very similar to (Pat) Connaughton I would say." One reason Carmody felt comfortable choosing the Irish was that he'd seen guys like Connaughton and Steve Vasturia enjoy success and bring toughness to the team. Our source has no doubt Carmody will bring that same intangible. "When he steps between the lines, guys are afraid of him," we were told. "Robby is a tough SOB." Notre Dame will definitely continue recruiting New Jersey shooting guard Luther Muhammad and Maryland shooting guard Noah Locke. The addition of Carmody may make it more difficult for the Irish to land either, but they won't stop trying. Either way, Notre Dame is thrilled to get the 2018 class started with Carmody and Washington, D.C. point guard Prentiss Hubb. FOOTBALL FIRST, BASEBALL SECOND FOR KMET: Cole Kmet is at Notre Dame now, but the freshman tight end is still collecting awards back in Illinois for his senior season playing for the Saint Viator High School baseball squad. Hitting .443 with 12 homers and 46 RBI while compiling an 8-3 record with a 2.02 ERA and 105 strikeouts on the mound led to Kmet winning Player of the Year awards from The Chicago Tribune, WGN and The Prep Baseball Report. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder is fully focused on football as he begins his career in South Bend, but we're told he'll jump into baseball for the Irish following spring practice next year. That wasn't the plan initially, but as his junior season went on, Kmet started wanting to do both."Coach Kelly has been great about it," we were told. "Cole knows this will be a challenge and football is first and foremost." It isn't clear what position he'll play for the Irish nine, but again football will be the main priority. If he remains limber enough to get a look on the mound then he will, but if he bulks up under Matt Balis' direction, he'll stick in the outfield. Kmet turned down an opportunity to pursue the baseball draft and another major scholarship offer from baseball because Notre Dame is "his dream" and has no second thoughts. "Notre Dame is a special place."
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."
