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."
ISD intel (1/13)
Trust. The. Process.Three simple words and as Notre Dame commitments tweeted them out along with an identical photo on Monday night, the meaning seemed obvious.https://twitter.com/brockjwright40/status/818650215507001345But after some digging, it goes a little deeper.Trust the process. All of the pledges made the decision to commit to Notre Dame and were voicing their belief in trusting what the University is all about with the tweets.Trust the process. The commits obviously joined the football program in South Bend. They committed to a university and a program, not individual coaches, so they wanted to make it clear, they trust the program to surround them with the best coaches possible.Trust the process. While the expression was undoubtedly meant to catch the attention of those on the outside, it was also a way for the commits to signify to one another that they're in this together and that they trust each other.One commit admitted to us he was watching the national championship game on Monday night and thinking about his future at Notre Dame and how badly he wanted to be on that stage himself one day. Just hours earlier, the Irish had lost a key member of their class when Paulson Adebo decommitted and although it's been four years since Notre Dame was playing for it all, it seemed longer and perhaps further away following the 2016 season.But this player wasn't doubting his choice."I feel like I made the right decision and my team was 4-8," he said. "As a group, for the bigger purpose, we all felt it was appropriate to let the world know Notre Dame is still strong whether or not we had the best season or whether or not a kid decommits or commits. "We feel like the work we're going to put in with our new strength and conditioning coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, position coaches, etc., is going to create some energy and bring that winning culture back."So, after some discussion on the oft-mentioned and by now famous group chat, the decision was made to display a sign of unity."We talked about why we were doing it and we were doing it to let people know we trust the process," one commit told us. "That's what Notre Dame is really all about, trusting the process. You're not walking into a football institution, you're walking into an academic institution first. Trusting the process is all about being loyal with your decision."This commit told us he could have bolted if he had concerns."I had other options, but at the same time, I trust the process, I trust the coaches and I trust the culture," he said. "I think everyone has the same exact mindset as me, which is scary just because we are such a tight-knit group with such a narrow focus. We're really going to create some splashes."One commit confirmed part of the decision to send out the tweets was to gauge where all of the other commits' heads were at."We call each other and text each other on the daily just making sure everything is cool," he said. "Even if it's not about football, I just want to know what you're thinking, how you're feeling. A lot of it is to other commits. "I think at a time like this, coming off a season we had and with kids decommitting, to show the kids who are still committed are still strong-minded about their decision, I think that says a lot about a school rather than just what they hear or see on TV." BALLIS MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPRESSIONS: Notre Dame has yet to officially announce Matt Balis as its new strength and conditioning coach, but that announcement is still expected to come as soon the University's exhaustive background check is complete.We took some time this week to catch up with a couple people who have worked with Balis on an individual basis or have had the opportunity to observe him. It's clear it doesn't take the former UConn strength and conditioning coach long to make an impression and those impressions are overwhelmingly positive.We spoke to one current player at UConn, who is disappointed to see him go."He's a man of great integrity," this player said. "He's a strong man. He connects with the guys real well. Coach Balis is a great guy. He's a great strength coach. He knows the business. He knows what he's doing. He works with everybody individually."This player was unable to play on the field this past year, but Balis still managed to keep him fully engaged."Me being a guy who sat out last season, he still spent a lot of time with me in the weight room," said the player. "I met him halfway, I did my part, but he helped me with his part as well."Balis sets the bar and doesn't accept anything less, according to this player."He held each and every single person to a standard and he didn't lower the standard at all," we were told. "He kept his word with everything he said. I just like how he kept everybody at the same standard. He pushed everybody to be better and it worked. Our record might have been what it was, but there was a lot of work put in in the offseason and even during the season."He told us to just trust the process, do what he tells you. His rsum speaks for itself and the things he was able to do at Mississippi State and Florida. Mostly everybody I know reached their goals in the weight room. I know I've reached my goals. I've seen myself do things I never would have even thought I could do in the weight room and that's all because of him pushing me past my limit."Despite being a demanding coach, he was still one of the favorites."He was one of the most liked people in the program," the player said. "He pushed us very hard. What he says about the weight room is that you flip the switch, you've got to come in with the switch turned on or you'll get left behind. He was hard, he was very hard, but he was definitely hands down one of the most liked people in the program."So, are the Irish getting a good strength and conditioning coach?"Yes, they're getting a great one." We also caught up with the father of a recruit who was struck by Balis during an unofficial visit to UConn during the recruiting process."The thing I was impressed with was just his intensity," the father told ISD. "He just seemed to be a great motivator and really intense. I just loved his energy."This father felt Balis' energy carried over to the players."The players we had a chance to speak with seemed to really enjoy being trained by him and gave excellent feedback regarding the progress they made during the time they were under his supervision," he said.Like the player, the father definitely felt Balis' intensity, but also the encouragement."He had no problem pushing guys and getting in their face a little bit in a positive manner," we were told. "Guys need that."FIELDS FIELDING MORE OFFERS: This is the stage of the recruiting process when prospects are trying to narrow down their lists, but for Evan Fields, things seem to be working in the opposite direction. The 2017 Oklahoma safety thought he had narrowed his schools down multiple times in recent months, only to have more schools come into the mix later.On Thursday alone, Fields picked up offers from TCU and Minnesota, numbers 32 and 33. It's difficult to say whether either program has a legit shot at making a move with Fields given his calendar crunch.One thing is for sure though, Notre Dame does have a shot to make a move with Fields.Irish recruiting coordinator Mike Elston was in Oklahoma City on Thursday night for an in-home visit and he put Notre Dame in a good place heading into Fields' official visit to South Bend next weekend."He was pretty much letting us know who Notre Dame is, their tradition and the expectations for their players and prospective players," one source told ISD late Thursday night. "Academics, that's the key, number one. It was a great, great visit."Obviously, Fields will learn much more about Notre Dame during next week's trip, but his camp was comforted by learning about all of the Irish's games being televised nationally. Elston deferred many of the X-and-O questions to next week so new Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko could answer them."Out of respect to the defensive coordinator, he didn't answer a lot of Evan's questions because he didn't want to tell him anything inaccurate," the source said.Elston left an overwhelmingly positive impression."I'll tell you what, that guy seemed real honest," we were told. "He didn't sugarcoat anything because he doesn't want us to get the wrong picture. It's a very prestigious program they have." Fields is off to UCLA today for an official visit. He's already taken visits to Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Arizona State, so the trip to Notre Dame will be his fifth and final official. He'll fly directly from South Bend to Orlando for an all-star game and will announce his decision the following Monday, Jan. 30th.KEEPING UP WITH CHRIS: Following his official visit to Colorado last month, we were told Buffaloes commit Chris Miller was unlikely to take other visits despite landing more offers down the stretch. The Colorado coaches pressed the wide receiver/cornerback on sticking with the Buffs and ignoring his new suitors while also promising to feature him on both sides of the ball.While we're sure the Colorado staff is still going to try convince the Texan to rebuff others, at this point, it seems likely Miller will find his way to South Bend for an official visit. In fact, we're told a date has already been locked in for next week and we're putting him on our Visit List.It seems Miller was initially under the impression Notre Dame wanted him as a receiver. Whether that was a case of misunderstanding or if former offensive coordinator Mike Sanford wanted him to play offense, the Irish have made it clear they're recruiting him as a cornerback, which is Miller's preferred position.Given Colorado's preference and almost insistence that he not take any other visits, if Miller does indeed make it to South Bend next weekend, we'd take that as a sign of serious, serious interest on his part.LEGACY OR OWN LEGACY?: 2017 defensive end Jalen Harris is committed to Arizona. His father, Sean Harris, played football for the Wildcats and his mother played basketball there. So it's only natural he will go there, right? Not so fast my friend. "I am pretty open," Sean Harris told ISD this week. "At the end of the day, he has to make a decision for himself. I don't want it to be my decision that he has to live with. It has to be something he has to choose on his own. "Whatever school he decides on, he has to feel it's the right place for him, regardless of if I played there or his mom played basketball there. It has to be one he is comfortable with." The elder Harris played fullback at Arizona and in the NFL, but one thing he has noticed about his son's recruiting process is the major differences of recruiting in 2017. "It's like night and day," laughed Harris. "You have Twitter and all this stuff. The coaches reach out to the kids before they talk to the parents. It's very different and everything is on social media, but later on, you meet face to face. "A lot of times, the relationship with the coaches is started with the kid before they meet the kid in person or the parents in person. It's a lot different." Harris wants his son to make his own decision, but will also be involved in making sure the scheme is the right fit and coaches aren't pulling a quick one just to score a commitment. "I think a 3-4 would fit him best," explained Harris. "He has great speed off the edge and I think that's his advantage. He still is getting stronger and bigger, but I believe a 3-4 would be best for him. "If he plays in a 4-3, I think it'd be best for him to be the rush end. That's just how I feel. Everyone else may have a different opinion." We can confirm those around the program absolutely love Harris. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder still needs to fill out, but his ability to play the edge and rush the quarterback makes him a very intriguing prospect. As we told you on Wednesday, Harris and his family will be in South Bend the last weekend of January for an official visit. HE'S BACK: Kudos to a few astute ISD observers who noticed an old name back on our Target List at defensive end. Josh Paschal got a good look at Notre Dame when the 2017 Maryland defensive end visited for the team banquet back in Decemberand then he committed to Kentucky a couple days later.With less than a month to go before National Signing Day, the Irish are getting back in the box to take another swing at Paschal.And after some digging, we're told Paschal will be open to listening to the Irish once again."You never know how this stuff goes, so you can't burn any bridges," one source told us.The source wasn't sure whether new Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko had reached out to Paschal just yet, but he knows Elko had inquired about doing so and had been given the green light.In the meantime, our source took the time to learn a bit about Elko's time at Wake Forest and came away with a positive impression."Wake Forest is pretty much an academic school, maybe not as much as Notre Dame, but they preach strong academics," the source stated. "A lot of times with kids, you don't get a kid who's really great academically and that is a four or five-star guy. He seemed to do really well with what he got."We're not exactly sure what it would take to flip Paschal from the Wildcats, but we've officially put him back on our Target List.ON THE OTHER HAND: While Notre Dame's recruiting board seems to be growing exponentially, we took a pair off on Thursday.As we reported yesterday, Notre Dame won't be pursuing either Virginia linebacker Ellis Brooks or Michigan linebacker Antjuan Simmons, who has an announcement scheduled for Saturday.Following Pete Werner's decommitment, Brooks told us Notre Dame had reached out to him again and he was looking forward to taking an official visit to South Bend later this month. But a source close to Brooks told us the Irish had contacted him again recently to let the 2017 Virginia linebacker know they were no longer looking to bring in another linebacker to replace Werner and join David Adams and Drew White."Ellis really liked Notre Dame a lot, he was looking forward to visiting up there and meeting the coaches and looking around, but we received a call from Coach Elston and he advised us with the new coaching staff there, they thought they were possibly going to take another linebacker in this class, but they're not," a source close to Brooks said."They liked Ellis and he didn't do anything that would prevent him from coming to Notre Dame, but they're not taking another linebacker in this class."As we reported when Brooks was put back on the board last month, he's a young man who understands recruiting is a business and still doesn't have any hard feelings toward Notre Dame."It all worked out," the source said. "We thank them for the time they spent talking to Ellis. They're still very professional. Ellis wished them well and that's the way it went."Additional Analysis From Uyeyama: Brooks is a fine prospect as an inside linebacker and I don't think anyone is against adding a player like him to a recruiting class. But in terms of a position fit, it never made much sense to me that Notre Dame would add him to replace Werner in the class. They are very different players and Brooks does not offer the same kind of versatility that Werner does. Brooks essentially plays the same position as White and Adams and I don't think he is a better prospect than either of them. With that in mind, I think it's the smart move by the defensive staff to focus their efforts elsewhere. I can also understand why those efforts aren't being directed toward Simmons either. I like Simmons as an athlete. I love his potential and obviously, Ohio State did as well or they wouldn't have taken him as an early commitment. I do think he is very raw in a lot of areas, though. Right now, he is a better athlete than football player. If you combine that with the fact that there are some questions about his length and his size, I get why Elko and new linebackers coach Clark Lea would decide against pursuing Simmons. Size issues can be overcome with great athleticism and instincts, but Simmons' recognition skills and instincts aren't elite at this time. Defensive back Shaun Crawford was someone who did possess great athleticism and instincts coming out of high school and that's why he was a take and a lot safer prospect than Simmons. Simmons could greatly reward someone down the line if it all comes together for him, but there is risk involved and I understand why that's a risk Notre Dame would choose not to take. TALKING TARGET LIST: As always, you can check out the full Notre Dame Target List HERE, which is updated frequently, along with our Visit List, which you can find HERE.This week, we added a new thread to focus on all of the new offers the Irish have sent out already this month, which is HERE.Diving a bit deeper into the current Target List.Notre Dame feels it will have shots with safety TreSean Smith and defensive back Tre Norwood. Smith remains committed to Louisville while Norwood decommitted on Thursday night. The Cardinals lost not only their defensive backs coach, but their defensive coordinator in the past week, but the Irish felt they had a shot at Smith even before that.Jordan Genmark-Heath is another recently-offered defensive back. The San Diego native is currently committed to Cal, which unexpectedly fired head coach Sonny Dykes earlier this week. We expect the Irish to be able to get him to South Bend this month and see him as a prime flip candidate. We have told you a bunch about 2017 defensive end Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa in the last week and we can confirm there is a lot of interest in Notre Dame from the family. We spoke to Amosa's father earlier this week. It's clear he wants a high academic situation for son and Notre Dame fits the bill. At this point, Tagovailoa-Amosa is still scheduled to be in South Bend on January 25th-26th, but that still could change by a day, as he plans to visit Vanderbilt and Navy, where his older brother plays. There are still several prospects Notre Dame has contacted in the last couple weeks who are still being evaluated by the Irish staff and could end up on the offer list some probably sooner than later. Deontre Thomas is one such player. The Oklahoma defensive tackle is currently committed to Nebraska and will take his official visit to Lincoln next weekend, but Notre Dame is still pushing to get in the mix and have his attention. In fact, Elston was at his school on Thursday, meeting with Thomas and getting all of his measurables. Thomas left the meeting feeling like an offer will be coming at some point. He's not yet sure if that would result in him taking a visit to South Bend, but of the other schools pushing for him right now, Notre Dame is at the top. UPON FURTHER REVIEW: The biggest call or non-call of the college football season was all too familiar for Notre Dame fans.After beating Alabama in Monday's national championship game, Deshaun Watson referred to his last-second touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow as a "pick play."But was it illegal?Once again, we reached out to Our Ref for his thoughts."At first I wondered, then I looked at the replay closely," Our Ref said. "It was really the defender who initiated the contact. That close to the line, they are allowed some contact, so it wasn't a foul for the defender, but I also wouldn't have flagged the offensive player for contact that the defender initiated. Plus, the defender made no effort to get around his receiver, which told me he wasn't focused on anything but covering man-to-man. "Alabama fans might have wanted that called, but if it had been called on them on offense, they'd have alleged a bad call. Let them play -- unless, of course, the other team is allowed to play too! Sorry, but you can't have it both ways."Some have pointed to the pass interference penalty on Clemson's penultimate offensive play. While the referees may not have announced the call correctly, but the outcome was correct.On 2nd and goal from the nine, Alabama was called for pass interference "in the end zone," according to the official and the ball was placed at the two-yard line. Some have pointed out the foul did not occur in the end zone which is correct and that the ball should have been placed around the five after being penalized half the distance to the goal which is incorrect."Defensive pass interference is always either a spot foul where it occurred, or a 15-yard penalty," Our Ref said. "When the ball is snapped inside of the 17 and the foul occurred on or inside the 2 (end zone included), the ball is placed at the 2. The only times DPI is subject to half the distance is either when the ball is snapped on or inside the 2 or it is on a try from the 3 (or inside). This is an exception to normal penalty enforcement where no penalty shall be more than half the distance. "The foul occurred, at least, at the 2 or inside the 2, so the ball was properly placed at the 2. Had the foul occurred at the 3, it would have been placed there."TOGETHER FOREVER?: After moving in over the weekend, Notre Dame's 2017 early enrollees will officially become part of the Irish family when they show up for the first classes of the spring semester on Tuesday.We know CJ Holmes and Isaiah Robertson will be rooming together and Brock Wright and Robert Hainsey will be paired up as well. Apparently breaking with past tradition, the duos will have the option of remaining roommates throughout their duration on campus.EXTREME MAKEOVER-NOTRE DAME EDITION: As the Campus Crossroads project continues to get closer and closer to finished, we learned there will be a few additions that haven't officially been announced to the public just yet.Currently, there is a massive tarp on the Rockne Tunnel entrance. A source stated they are giving the Notre Dame locker room a makeover, building a visitor's locker room and then a tunnel to the field the visiting team will use. In other words, the visiting team will no longer walk down the main tunnel when entering and leaving the field. In terms of the locker room, both the home and away locker rooms needed some improvements. Now, you don't want the visiting team to be too comfortable, but a little bit more space is acceptable versus what is there now.
