JT Daniels

Notre Dame's season may very well come down to production or a lack of production from its defensive line in 2017. The Irish may have a deeper defensive line than in past seasons under head coach Brian Kelly, but it's raw talent. Jay Hayes will no longer be at rush end and will move to his natural position at strongside end but could he potentially add depth on the inside? The Brooklyn native tweeted a photo weighing in at 293 pounds last week, and we have heard from one source who believes Hayes could potentially see time inside at 3-Tech. Speaking of 3-Tech, we have also heard Elijah Taylor is out of his boot and has started rehab after suffering a LisFranc fracture in his left football during the spring. It's a long road back from a LisFranc injury as we saw with Jarron Jones, but anything Taylor can give in 2017 will be welcomed. Another guy at 3-Tech is junior Micah Dew-Treadway, who figured to be in the rotation last fall before breaking his foot in fall camp. We have heard Dew-Treadway is in constant contact with defensive coordinator Mike Elko and is fully aware of what he needs to do to get on the field. The staff wants Dew-Treadway at 305 pounds for the season and has a few pounds to gain to reach that mark from what we're told. One area Dew-Treadway can prove to Elko, and defensive line coach Mike Elston right away is the ability to stay on the field and not get tired. New Director of Football Performance, Matt Balis, is making sure the defensive line and the entire team are going to be able to stay on the field and not fatigue as quickly. "Balis is a beast and is an extension of Brian Kelly," stated one source. "What he says goes."The source also added there was a greater sense of accountability, which goes in line with what we heard and saw in the spring. Uyeyama's Thoughts: The topic of Hayes' weight and a potential move to 3-Tech was brought up earlier this week. I think whether he moves there or not, he will be rushing the passer from the interior quite a bit this season. It's partly a product of the Bear front with two players lined up outside shade of the two guards that Mike Elko often likes to use on 3rd down. The strong-side defensive end often kicks inside when that happens, and we saw Duke Ejiofor have a lot of success matching up on the interior. Hayes is even bigger than Ejiofor so moving to 3-Tech full-time is not out of the question for a guy who should line up there a lot regardless if he switches positions.The reason why I'm not 100% sold on it happening is the situation behind him at end. Right now there is Khalid Kareem and possibly Andrew Trumbetti competing there. Kareem may be able to make a big step up to have a significant role this year, but that is no guarantee at this point.As was just discussed, there are several options at 3-Tech already as well with Taylor, Dew-Treadway, and projected starter Jonathan Bonner. Even if they aren't happy with those three players and want to give Hayes a look there, it could be a scenario of robbing Peter to pay Paul. It all leads into some interesting competition in fall camp, which should only be further complicated by inserting freshman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa into the mix. Notes- We have heard quarterback Ian Book continues to impress during summer workouts. - Freshman tight end Cole Kmet has turned heads in the few short weeks he has been on campus. "Soft hands" has been used to describe his style of play. - Alize Mack has impressed but still needs to work on consistently catching the football. - Avery Davis is raw and needs to clean up his throwing motion, but he's been on campus for three weeks. No reason to be concerned. - Justin Yoon is close to being ready to go. He has his range back, which at right about 55 yards for field goals. Also, don't expect Yoon to just give up kickoffs as that's his ticket to the NFL. Yoon is right around 73-74 yards on his kickoffs at this point in June.- Brian Kelly has been present for the workouts the staff is allowed to attend and has continued to be more involved with the program top to bottom.ADEMILOLA READY TO RECRUIT: The Opening presents a great opportunity for kids to get away from the recruiting scene and form friendships with other top prospects. With that said, the recruits do a lot of recruiting as they are surrounded by prospects their future schools want onboard. 2018 defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola plans on doing some recruiting this week, and it starts with his teammate at St. Peter's Prep. "I am going to recruit my teammate, Shayne Simon," laughed Ademilola. "He is a great guy to be around. I am going to talk to Houston Griffith and Cameron McGrone. "I spoke to Cam at Irish Invasion, and we stayed in a dorm together. I was chilling with him that night, and we have texted back and forth since then. Cam is also on my team at The Opening." The Opening also provides the opportunity to play with and against future teammates. Ademilola is looking forward to meeting and working with new Notre Dame defensive tackle commit Ja'mion Franklin this week. "I am excited to work with him," said Ademilola. "I haven't met Ja'mion, so it's going to be good to see how he does. We are going to compete and try to build that bond more." When it comes to his fellow commits, Ademilola believes they are forming a close bond as the summer goes by. The four-star prospect FaceTime's with Markese Stepp and Ovie Oghoufo multiples a week and the commits are all heavily involved in the group text. Stepp has been the face of the class for over a year, and it's not a shock Ademilola has developed a strong relationship with the four-star running back. "Markese is a great kid," Ademilola said. "He came over to my house when he was in New Jersey. We're pretty tight, and we have a great relationship. He's a great recruiter and doing great things for Notre Dame." Simon visited South Bend for a second time for Irish Invasion with the Ademilola twins, and Notre Dame jumped into the lead for the four-star rover prospect. A commitment would mean more than just a talented football player joining Ademilola, as Simon is one of his closest friends. "It would be huge," Ademilola said of potentially landing Simon. "I met Shayne when I was a freshman. We are really tight, and he's one of my best friends. We always stay close, and he has helped me develop as a player. I feel like Shayne, my brother, and I would stay tight if he came to Notre Dame." FRANKLIN ENJOYS TRIP HOME: 2018 defensive tackle Ja'mion Franklin started off a busy month of June by committing to Notre Dame. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder took a spring visit to Notre Dame with his coach but returned last weekend to show his family his future home for the first time. The trip was exactly what the North Caroline (Md.) star imagined it would be and he was more comfortable than he even thought."It was like seeing my family after a while away," Franklin said of his return to South Bend. "My parents loved the campus and the coaches/players they met on the visit. The feeling they got from the visit and the vibe from coach Kelly sealed the deal for them." As we mentioned, Franklin will be at The Opening this week and is more than ready to recruit for the Irish. "I'm going after everybody," laughed Franklin. "Cameron McGrone is the target in mind." ST. BROWN INTEL: 2018 Mater Dei (Calif.) receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has been the name no one can get enough scoop on as every program in the country covets the signature of the 5-foot-10, 186-pounder. The four-star prospect is low-key and doesn't seem interested in the recruiting process at times, but St. Brown has done his due diligence and visited multiple schools over the last two years. As National Signing Day approaches, he will be paying close attention to how and what teams are doing this fall. "I've been to a lot of schools, I've seen most of the schools now, I've talked to a lot of the coaches, but one thing I really want to do is see how they play during the season, how each team fares out, how they utilize some of the players," said St. Brown. "I know some of the players on the teams, how they use the freshmen. I want to have a fair shot at playing early. I just want to watch how the season works, how everything plays out."Playing early is definitely a major factor in St. Brown's recruitment, but he doesn't want a coach to promise him playing time. The California native wants a fair shot to compete to see the field. St. Brown will pay attention to see how Stanford works his brother, Osiris, into the rotation this fall as he already saw how his older brother, Equanimeous, battled the depth chart at Notre Dame in his first season."Freshman year, he didn't really play much," St. Brown said of his oldest brother. "Our family, me and my dad, thought he should have played a little more, but obviously that's not my decision or his. That's the coach's decision. Him not playing freshman year was on him. I don't know if that really has an impact, maybe it's subconscious in my mind, I'm not sure. But, if I'm the best player, I think I should have a fair shot at playing. If there's a senior in front, just because he's a senior doesn't mean he should play. I think everyone should have a fair shot and the best player should play."St. Brown also addressed some thoughts of him wanting to play with 2019 five-star quarterback JT Daniels, as the two have put up video game numbers at Mater Dei. "If JT chooses USC, wherever he goes, that would be great, I'm going to be happy for him," stated St. Brown. "If I choose USC, then we might do some damage. Regarding him having an impact, I would say it has a little impact, but at the end of the day, we have to do what's best for us."HARRISON OPEN: 2019 four-star defensive end Zach Harrison made a low-key visit to South Bend last weekend and backed up his statements of not being an Ohio State lock despite living in a Columbus suburb. Olentangy Orange head coach Zebb Schroeder also agrees his star player isn't a lock to Ohio State."His family is not from the Columbus area," Schroeder said of the 6-foot-5, 242-pounder. "In fact, his family is closer to South Bend than they are Columbus. He truly is looking at the opportunity as a special position he has been put in."Harrison, who ran a 4.62 40-yard dash earlier this spring, is doing his due diligence and making sure he checks out the schools that have extended offers. Schroeder believes Harrison is proactive in taking visits to experience everything he needs to make the best decision. "He's been smart about doing his research on the academics and what it's like to live there as a student-athlete," said Schroeder. "He has looked at his relationships with the defensive line coach and the football culture. I think those are the important things he is trying to do his research on." Uyeyama's' Thoughts: There have been two rising junior defensive linemen that were selected to The Opening in recent years that catapulted their way to be the top-ranked player in the nation in their recruiting class after shining against older players. Those two players were Rashan Gary and currently the top ranked player in the 2018 class, Xavier Thomas. Those guys were exceptional and were definitely in the top five defensive line prospects at the camp despite being a year younger than everyone else. This year the recruit trying to show he is the next top dog is Harrison.He certainly has the physical tools to suggest he could be that. He is freakishly long with a frame that looks like he can carry 280 pounds or more once he physically matures and gets in a good college strength and conditioning program. His athleticism that goes with that size is what puts it over the top for him, though. There aren't many who have a ceiling as high as him because of those exceptional traits.I don't think he is at the level of Thomas or Gary. At least not yet. Those guys had film that put them in an upper tier. Harrison's sophomore film doesn't match up. Heck, he didn't even make the Final 5 at the regional camp this year. He has some work to do before he should be considered a generational talent like those two. But this week could be the start of him approaching that level. He is going to get some quality coaching and go up against elite competition. He is raw, especially with his hands, but this week for the defensive linemen is as much about refinement as it is about competition. I would be surprised if Harrison is one of the Final 5 defensive linemen at this camp, but this experience should be invaluable to him in his quest to be one of the best in the class of 2019. GRAY ON LYGHT: 2019 Charlotte Christian (N.C.) defensive back Jeremiah Gray got his first look at Notre Dame last weekend. The 6-foot-1, 198-pounder is one of the few prospects each year with a father that holds an NFL background. In the past, prospects in Gray's position have had a more mature viewpoint than their peers as they have a father who went through the process. The chance to meet with cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght was a great opportunity for Gray to relate to someone in a position very similar to that of his father's. "It was interesting," said Gray. "At first we didn't even talk about football. He talked a lot about the networking after football you get with Notre Dame. You can't just bank off going to the NFL. After college, Notre Dame has a lot of alumni or fans that are there for you. "He pulled out some mail and told me he still gets fan mail. That was pretty cool to see." There are many coaches who played in college and the NFL, but few are coaching the position they played at their alma mater. Gray values the experience Lyght brings and could be a factor if he receives an offer from the Irish. "If a coach didn't play in college or the NFL, I am not going to hold that against them, but I will say it's a bonus," explained Gray. "When I play college football, it would be great to be coached by someone who played football and was in my shoes. "There are some coaches who never played, and there's nothing wrong with it, but it's harder for them to understand what you go through." DISTANCE A FACTOR FOR MAZI?: 2019 Grand Rapids (Mich.) defensive tackle Mazi Smith added an offer from Notre Dame last weekend, and it was definitely a big one for the four-star prospect. With an offer from Alabama and a trip to Tuscaloosa next month, Smith can play away from home, but he also has Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin as much closer options. "I could go anywhere if I feel comfortable and I like it there whether it's close to home or not," said Smith. "I want to go where I can fit in and do my best. At the end of the day, I am going to be the one living there for four years, and I have to live with it." BOARD CLARITY COMING FROM OPENING: While ISD's staff is out in Oregon for The Opening this week, we should get some further clarity on where Notre Dame's 2018 recruiting board currently stands.Even after gaining a commitment from Florida tight end George Takacs earlier this month, Notre Dame didn't shy away from bringing Georgia tight end Tommy Tremble in for a visit. The Irish staff made the pitch to Tremble that he and Takacs would be complementary pieces in the tight end picture in South Bend with Tremble being the more athletic, Alize Mack type, and Takacs playing more of the traditional role. Does Notre Dame see New York's Jeremy Ruckert being the same type of fit? We could find out this week or at least get a sense, but in our opinion, at this point, we see Ruckert landing at one of his Big Ten finalists, Ohio State, Michigan or Wisconsin.On the offensive line, we've had Utah's Penei Sewell and Maryland's Rasheed Walker on our Target List for some time now, but could they be removed when we talk to them this week? Sewell received his offer from Notre Dame a couple of months back, and we'll be interested to see if he's any closer to locking in a visit to South Bend. Meanwhile, the Irish were included in Walker's top six, but are they truly a player here? Either way, we believe Notre Dame's current focus up front is on guys like Jamaree Salyer, Sam Vakalahi, and Will Craig, who will all be in Oregon as well, along with Nick Petit Frere.On the either side of the ball, both may say otherwise, but we'll be interested in whether we see any hints that defensive linemen PJ Mustipher and Tyreek Smith should be removed from the Target List. Both have made trips to South Bend in the past, and the Irish have a strong connection to Mustipher through his brother, but both seem to be trending elsewhere at the moment. In the 2019 class, it's too early to start thinking about removing Ohio's Jowon Briggs from the target sheet, but we're not sure Briggs and Notre Dame would be as good of a match as we initially believed. We'll be looking to get Briggs' thoughts.On the back end of the defense, maybe Houston stud Anthony Cook is closer to a visit to South Bend and keeping the Irish under consideration, but what about his high school teammate, D'Shawn Jamison? Will Georgia's Christian Tutt and Texas' Christian Morgan be options for Notre Dame moving forward? We'll do our best to find out.LAMB SAW A FIRED-UP IRISH SQUAD: Jack Lamb knew he'd see a historic football program when he visited Notre Dame last week and he did.The 2018 California linebacker knew he'd hear about the academic prowess of the University and he did.He figured he'd meet several people with similar goals to him and he did.He didn't have any idea he'd see a squad as hungry as the current one in South Bend though.Although he didn't get to spend extensive one-on-one time with many of the players, his first sighting of the team as a group made a strong impression."Their lifting didn't start until 11 a.m.," Lamb explained. "They were trying to get into the weight room at 10:59 and they wouldn't let them in until 11. They were banging on the glass, banging on the door trying to get in the weight room."Obviously, that impression was a positive one for Lamb."I thought that was really awesome they were really excited to lift," he said."A lot of people really don't get excited for that hard work. I thought that was really interesting, the kind of attitude and that they carried that passion."FROM THE BUSHES-STAFF EDITION: After almost a month of hosting camps in South Bend, the current dead period offers the Irish staff a bit of a break.Communication is still allowed during the dead period, which began on Monday and stretches through Sunday, July 9th, but in-person contact is prohibited, meaning no prospects will be visiting.The Irish were able to draw a large group of visitors to town during the month of June, and while other targets will surely make trips to South Bend when the dead period expires, there shouldn't be as many coordinated efforts as the last couple of weeks.We continue to hear nothing but positives on the new Irish defensive coordinator, especially on the recruiting side of things. Multiple sources from virtually every angle of the process have told us he respects the importance of recruiting, is prepared and seems to truly enjoy doing it. There is no doubt he is working very, very hard and putting in the hours necessary to be successful. As a person, Elko is similar in a sense to guys like Chuck Martin and Mike Denbrock as people who are easy to like almost instantly. He certainly has the work ethic and personality that could make him a head coach somewhere down the line. We've also been told the players really love him. He's very positive but isn't afraid to push them either. Many people are confident in his ability to get the defensive playing solid football early in the season. New linebackers coach Clark Lea, who was with Elko at Wake Forest, seems to be a good hire as well. He may not be as dynamic of a personality as some of the nation's top recruiters, but he definitely gives it the effort it deserves and makes up for anything he may lack in a flash by taking the time to form genuine relationships with prospects and their inner circles. The current players like him as well, and he's known as a very good teacher of fundamentals. Likewise, we've heard the players have also taken to new quarterbacks coach Tommy, sorry, Tom Rees. He's also proven to be an asset in recruiting even if his role is somewhat limited in that he tries to help a lot, and he's effective talking to kids. We'll see exactly how well he can coach in the future, but from a personality standpoint in recruiting, working and connecting with the current signal-callers, it seems to be a positive so far.