ISD Intel (5/26)
Since the first time we talked with Thomas Booker, we were convinced the 2018 Maryland defensive lineman would be a fit for Notre Dame. But we also realized Booker would be a fit at several schools, so the question was whether he'd see the University in South Bend as potentially the fit for him. It's not yet certain if Notre Dame is the fit, but after speaking with him again this past weekend, there is no doubt the potential is there. A thoughtful, mature young man, Booker is taking a business-like approach to the recruiting process and Business could end up propelling Notre Dame to the top. Booker, who wants to major in Business, isn't just researching the background of the courses each school offers, but is also taking a close look at what majors the football players at each school are taking. He understands those don't always match. He wants to be challenged and wants to be surrounded by like-minded individuals, which is why he was especially struck by the Irish's current starting center. Booker knows fellow 2018 Maryland defensive lineman PJ Mustipher and was impressed to learn his brother, Sam, is enrolled in Notre Dame's challenging College of Engineering. Booker understands that's not the norm across college football and he's not looking for the norm. In addition to what it can offer in the classroom, Notre Dame is checking boxes on the athletic side of the ledger as well. It's obvious Booker loves Irish defensive line coach Mike Elston and sees him as a family guy. He was also very impressed with the time he spent with head coach Brian Kelly during his visit a couple months ago. There are other programs he's still taking a close look at especially Northwestern and his mother's alma mater, Duke, but it's hard not to get the sense the Irish have an edge. Michigan isn't under consideration and the longer Stanford goes explaining its "numbers game" instead of extending an offer, the closer the Cardinal could be to being out as well. There's been talk about a return to South Bend happening soon and we're told that will likely occur the fourth weekend of June. Booker isn't in a true rush to end his recruitment, so we're not sure he'd be on Commit Watch at that time, but Notre Dame will have a chance to establish itself as the absolute favorite. OWEH MANAGES EXPLOSION: Four months ago to the day, Jayson Oweh didn't have a single college football scholarship offer. The 2018 New Jersey defensive end landed his first offer from Rutgers on Jan. 27th. Today, he has almost two dozen from schools like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Georgia, Wisconsin, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt among several others. To say it's been dizzying would be an understatement. And Oweh may not have an opportunity to truly steady himself before he needs to make the biggest decision of his life to this point. He may be new to the college football recruiting scene, but the Blair Academy standout has already been schooled on how the process works. Oweh realizes the opportunities in front of him now won't be there forever and that if a school meets its quota at the position, he would have to look elsewhere. With that in mind, look for Oweh to make multiple swings this summer in an effort to bring the process to a close prior to his senior season. It looks like a Midwestern tour will begin in a couple weeks with stops at Ohio State and Wisconsin sandwiched around a trip to Notre Dame for Irish Invasion. Then, it'll likely be a journey down South to see schools like Virginia, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech. Many believe Penn State has an early edge and while Oweh isn't officially naming any leaders, there are some legitimate reasons to see the Nittany Lions as the favorites. Relationships are going to be important to Oweh and Penn State has been able to get a jump on others in that department. The feelings for James Franklin and his staff are very high and only improved during Oweh's stop at Happy Valley last weekend, where he was impressed by the atmosphere. He had a chance to spend a lot of time around the Penn State coaches and their families. Will he have enough time to get a similar feeling during his trip to South Bend, which could feel rushed between stops in Columbus and Madison? There's no doubt Penn State has an edge in terms of relationships right now, but that's because of the opportunity he's had to form those relationships and multiple sources have told us that edge is not insurmountable. In fact, Elston and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko made extremely strong first impressions on Oweh earlier this month. Oweh's family could get to Penn State in less than three hours to visit him and see him play, but as Elko was quick to point out, there's a direct flight from Newark, N.J., to South Bend, Ind., every day that would get them there in even less time. Academics will also be a crucial factor in the decision for Oweh, who wants to major in Engineering. He's already been looking at a list of the top 50 engineering colleges in the country and both Oweh and his family were impressed to learn he'd been offered scholarships by more than a dozen of them, including Notre Dame. And when he says academics will be important, he means it. We were told in no uncertain terms that Oweh is the kind of kid who will not overlook the offers he has from Harvard, Princeton and Dartmouth. In fact, one source told us Oweh sees the Ivy Leagues on par with the Power-5 schools that have offered and wouldn't rule those schools out by any means. It's been a lot for Oweh to juggle after just one year of varsity football. He's mindful of not missing out on a spot, but also understands how important it is for him to make the right decision. If he's 100 percent sure where he wants to go this summer, he'll pull the trigger. But what happens if he's only 90 percent sure? Well, we're not sure. FROM THE BUSHES: There are some reasons to believe the Irish staff will indeed have the chance to spend enough time with Oweh and other prospects during Invasion. In past years, there was a sense that things were rushed with prospects and staff members shuttling from one spot to another and then to work out and then to leave, which is why the Irish are expanding Invasion to two days this year. The first day, Saturday, will be the day of the camp, but Sunday will be an additional day for visitors to spend time on campus and with the staff. Even if guys like Oweh need to depart on Saturday night, having the extra day will give the staff added flexibility. There will be some big-name targets on campus for Invasion, but it's as important if not more important for the coaches to bring in players they still have questions about. Expect to see plenty of those types of targets on campus, which is good because it'll give the staff the ability to tighten up its board. That'll be a major focus of this year's event.Look for a good number of cornerbacks in the 2018 class to come work out as well as several 2019 quarterbacks who already have some decent offers and could blossom into national prospects. As we've said before, we felt Notre Dame had great shot at in-state cornerback DJ Johnson as soon as it extended the offer. The same goes for in-state linebacker Cameron McGrone, who could be a Rover candidate, now that he has an offer. Both are expected in for Invasion and the Irish could be in a position to land either or both shortly after. Other top 2018 targets the Irish have real strong shots at continue to included Florida wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr., Florida tight end George Takacs and Maryland defensive tackle Ja'mion Franklin. There's a growing sense of optimism surrounding Booker as well, but not quite to the degree of the previous three. Florida offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere is another prospect Notre Dame is in "great shape" with and as we've said repeatedly here, he's a crucial target for the Irish this cycle. So, what's next? The rest of the Notre Dame staff will come off the road today, after having used up every allowable day to recruit this spring. They will regroup next week, talk about all the prospects they saw on the road, re-watch some film and then reset their boards, both 2018 and 2019. A lot of names will come off the board and a lot of names will be added. Toward the end of next week, expect the staff to take some much-needed time off before they get ready for its first camp, which is Fantasy Camp, starting June 5th. As of now, we're not expecting any bad news from the team with summer approaching either of an academic or off-the-field nature, but oftentimes these things are unexpected. RUCKERT COMFORTABLE WITH FINAL FOUR: When the recruiting process began, 2018 New York tight end Jeremy Ruckert had a chance to visit many of the regional schools and was impressed with his first look at big-time college football facilities. Then, he had a chance to go down South and check out schools like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee and he was blown away. But then he did a Midwestern swing, first checking out Ohio State and Michigan before later dropping in at Notre Dame and Wisconsin, and found those schools to be a better fit for what he's looking for. A couple weeks ago, he officially announced the Buckeyes, Wolverines, Irish and Badgers as his top four. Despite continued overtures from other schools, Ruckert remains focused on those four. Many perceive Ohio State to be the favorite right now. We spoke with a source who wasn't sure there were any tiers within the top four, but guessed many think the Buckeyes are on top because they've been relentless in their pursuit with Urban Meyer even making a visit to Lindenhurst High School, where we're told he was "very impressive." But Ruckert seems to have formed relationships with coaches at each of his finalists, including Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long, who hasn't had as much time recruiting him as his peers. Despite not being officially hired at Notre Dame until January, Long has managed to make his presence felt in his own way. We're told Long has done a good job connecting with Ruckert without coming on too strong and that's something that appeals to the talented tight end. It's not clear if Ruckert will make another swing of visits before a decision, but it seems like he's leaning toward making a decision this summer and we know he will be out in Oregon for The Opening. ADEMILOLAS STAYING STRONG: It's always great to get recruits in the fold early in the process, before others realize their true potential. The challenge, though, is once others do recognize their potential, they're going to come after them hard. That's what Notre Dame is going through right now with 2018 New Jersey defensive line commits Justin and Jayson Ademilola. Well, in reality, Notre Dame has been going through that with the twins almost since the moment they committed to the Irish back in June. Initially, the twins and their coach at St. Peter's Prep, Rich Hansen, simply shut all of the other schools out, but there was no way that was going to last forever. In our video interview with the brothers earlier this week, Justin told us he asks his coach to respectfully keep other coaches away, but that too will be difficult to do for the next several months. So, don't be surprised if you hear there is some communication between the Ademilolas and other schools before the end of the process, not because they're looking around, but because it's almost impossible to get other schools from going after prospects like them. But, since their commitments, we've been told countless times the decision to go to Notre Dame is a comprehensive one and that sentiment was repeated to us again this weekend. The Ademilolas and their family are thrilled to be a part of the Notre Dame Football program and the history and tradition that comes with that. They are huge fans of Elston, Elko and Kelly. But if they were all gone tomorrow, we're still not sure the Ademilolas would be scrambling to find another landing spot. In fact, there never seemed to be any urgency to reassess their decisions even at the worst moments of last year's 4-8 season or during the uncertainty with the defensive staff. In addition to the football, the Ademilolas are excited about the educational opportunities at Notre Dame and about becoming a part of the Notre Dame network along with everything that entails. Despite the high expectations coming into the 2017 season, Brandon Wimbush hasn't had an opportunity to do much on the field yet in South Bend, but as a former St. Peter's Prep standout, his experiences off the field haven't gone unnoticed at all. Those are some of the messages the Ademiolas preaching to their friend and teammate, 2018 Rover prospect Shayne Simon, who is expected to make another visit to South Bend for next month's Invasion. This continues to look like a battle between Notre Dame and Michigan and we still feel the Irish have a better chance than many are giving them. Simon will cut his list down soon and while he isn't giving any hints away about who makes the cut, we'd be stunned if either Notre Dame or Michigan was left out. We're told Elko and Elston have both done a phenomenal job hitting all of the right notes with Simon to this point. Simon is definitely a quiet guy, but the respect he has within the St. Peter's Prep facility is almost tangible. In addition to being a tremendous asset on the field, Simon seems certain to be the future leader of a college defense wherever he ends up. GARDEN STATE SPROUTS: Penn State is still considered by many to be the leader for 2018 Pennsylvania wide receiver Shaquon Anderson-Butts, but at Sunday's Under Armour Regional in New Jersey, he listed Notre Dame as a likely official visit destination along with Oregon, Arizona State and Florida. That could be because he doesn't feel the need to use an official for the in-state school. Irish wide receiver coach Del Alexander has been pitching the opportunity to make an impact early. There also seems to be some genuine interest in the Irish from some of those closest to Anderson-Butts. 2019 New Jersey athlete Ronnie Hickman goes by "Rocket." We got a chance to see why during the Under Armour camp as Hickman was virtually unguardable at receiver. He's done a good job of getting out to see all of the schools that have offered him and sources tell us he will definitely get out to South Bend to see Notre Dame. A nice, polite young man, we think he'll be impressed. Hickman does remain committed to Rutgers for lacrosse, although a source tells us, "But he's not playing lacrosse in college, so." 2019 Pennsylvania wide receiver RJ Hart will be in South Bend for Irish Invasion. He has early offers from Temple, Toledo and Howard and said an offer from the Irish would be "really special." 2019 Bergen Catholic running back Rahmir Johnson already has offers from Rutgers, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Temple and Toledo. He's heard a bit from Notre Dame and is hoping to make it to Invasion, but has to clear it with his coach first. Elko has been in touch with Johnson and has expressed a sincere amount of interest in the young speedster. 2019 Orange cornerback Nyquee Hawkins has offers from schools like Penn State, Michigan, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, North Carolina and NC State among others. He's received some initial interest from Notre Dame and it's a school he has interest in as well, but seems focused on the schools that have already extended offers for the most part. At 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds, 2019 Connecticut athlete Bryce Sebastian wasn't the biggest prospect competing at St. Joseph's Regional High School on Sunday, but he kept coming up with huge plays. The cousin of former Notre Dame graduate transfer Avery Sebastian and former Cheshire Academy teammate of Irish freshman CJ Holmes, Sebastian has plenty of Irish connections. Notre Dame has invited him to Invasion and he hopes to make it, but those plans haven't been finalized. It was interesting to spend several hours hitting the trail in the Garden State if just to get an idea of how some programs treat the state. Michigan and Alabama were both in the state at the same time and they even seem to treat the state differently. Michigan had multiple assistants in the state on Sunday and Monday, including former Paramus Catholic head coach Chris Partridge, and it's obvious the Wolverines place a great deal of value on the state. Alabama sees value in the state as well, especially after a pair of amazing seasons from former St. Peter's Prep standout Minkah Fitzpatrick, but it's probably not as high on the list as some other states. In fact, while we were in one school, a Crimson Tide assistant was trying to get a hold of a coach we were meeting with. We were surprised when the coach silenced the call to keep talking, saying he hadn't heard a thing from Alabama in months. That doesn't seem to be an isolated incident for SEC schools. A different coach told us one of his players had received multiple offers, including an SEC one, from programs that had never even contacted him directly. He speculated it was a chance to gauge a prospect's interest and/or be able to say, 'Hey, we offered him. He wasn't interested,' if the kid turns into a star. Either way, this prospect won't be considering schools that don't make a true effort. The rivalries within state among the high schools are real. Multiple times we heard, 'Why would you want to go there?' when explaining our itinerary and it wasn't always half-kidding. Still, there's an amazing amount of respect for fellow coaches and players within the state. We asked one coach about the Ademilolas and he took that as a chance to throw in his thoughts on Simon as well. "They're good," we were told. "The safety there is really good." When one coach mentioned a quarterback who may be worth looking at, he quickly brushed himself off, saying, "You guys don't need a QB, you got Wimbush."
