Josh McKenzie

More than a few prospects could earn offers at Notre Dame's showcase camp tomorrow night, but it will be equally intriguing to watch the commits and targets who already have offers work out at Irish Invasion. We're not sure if a now-healthy Markese Stepp will work out or not, but we're hoping to see the burst he showed prior to his hamstring injury at the start of his junior season. He is built to be a power back and run between the tackles, but can he be more than that? How far along are his receiving skills? Jayson and Justin Ademilola earned offers at camp a year ago and it's clear the twins have progressed significantly as players since then. There are less questions with Jayson as he's begun to emerge as one of the best defensive tackles in the 2018 class, but we're excited to see Justin compete and see how twitchy he is. He's going to need elite quickness to succeed as a pass rusher at the next level because he isn't super long. This will be their first chance to work with defensive line coach Mike Elston as well. We had the chance to watch linebacker commit Bo Bauer in person at The Opening Cleveland and he is who he is as an athlete. The most important thing with him will be how he takes coaching from Irish assistant Clark Lea and how quickly he can pick up the little things to increase his efficiency on the field. No prospect is more intriguing out of the entire group than defensive end target Jayson Oweh. He is undeniably raw on film, but he has shown out at camps this offseason. How far has he come in his development and how much closer is he to an elite prospect than a project? We'll hopefully see on Saturday. Two recent offers out of Indiana, linebacker Cameron McGrone and cornerback DJ Johnson, will both be there and without the pressure of competing to land an offer. Size and instincts are two biggest unknowns with McGrone. He looks like he is back to where he was as an athlete before his knee injury, but how big is his frame and do his abilities in coverage match his skills as a blitzer? Johnson is coming from a defense that had him play a ton of Cover-3 bail and this will give him an opportunity to show he can cover man-to-man. How fluid is he and how well can he mirror receivers? Last and definitely not least is Rover candidate Shayne Simon. He plays close to the line of scrimmage often for St. Peter's Prep and this setting will be quite a bit different for him. He'll work with Lea and defensive coordinator Mike Elko at the camp and we'll get to see if he is more safety than linebacker. He's simply a football player, though, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him excel working with both coaches. IMPORTANT INVASION INSIGHT: Our understanding is some of the kids coming in this weekend will have the opportunity to stay on campus in the dorms to get a realistic feel of what life as a student-athlete in South Bend is actually like. "The expectation is for them to bond with the players, bond with the coaches, bond with some of the recruits that will be coming along," we were told. As we mentioned previously, stretching out the event into a whole weekend will give the staff flexibility and ample opportunities to spend time with prospects. We're told Sunday's festivities will include a barbecue. In past weeks, we talked about how important it would be for Notre Dame to make a big impression on Jayson Oweh during his time in South Bend this weekend since he'd be squeezing in the stop between visits to Ohio State and Wisconsin. It'll certainly still be important the Irish do make that impression, but we're told the visit won't be rushed since Oweh no longer plans on tripping up to Madison and will instead stay two days at Notre Dame. As we've said in the past, Penn State has already had the chance to showcase the family atmosphere within its program and now the Irish will have the opportunity to do the same. As we said, Shayne Simon is one of the most important targets coming in this weekend. Simon hears about Notre Dame plenty from the Ademilola twins, his friends and teammates at St. Peter's Prep. This weekend will be no different. The trio will be traveling together and are scheduled to arrive on campus early this afternoon and stay until Sunday. We're told the three friends will be together throughout the stay. In other positive news, we continue to feel Notre Dame is the school with the momentum here, not Michigan. In fact, one source speculated that UCLA could actually be running second, not the Wolverines. Simon's mom did go to school in Ann Arbor, but our source is confident she has a great appreciation for the power of the Notre Dame degree. And our source didn't rule out the potential for a relatively quick commitment. "If everything goes well for him this weekend, I don't see why he wouldn't." We're hearing similar things on 2018 Florida tight end George Takacs, who we're told is expected on campus tomorrow night and all day Sunday. In our mind, Notre Dame has been in the lead for Takacs since offering him a scholarship back in March. He visited South Bend later that month. We wouldn't be surprised in the least if he decided to pull the trigger during his return trip this weekend. In fact, it'll be interesting to see how the Irish handle things if he doesn't, given the fact they're also firmly in the running with other tight end targets like Tommy Tremble, Jeremy Ruckert and Mustapha Muhammad. Still, at this point, it's clear to us Takacs is the most likely option and in our opinion, he's on Commit Watch. Notre Dame is in a great position with 2018 Indianapolis cornerback DJ Johnson heading into Invasion. He says Notre Dame is currently in a tie at the top with Iowa and we think the Irish have a chance to make a real surge this weekend. But it's unlikely they'll jump out to an insurmountable lead as Johnson continues to receive attention from other major powers and plans on camping at Ohio State early next week. "I've been talking to them a lot more," he said. "If I do good at their camp on the 13th, hopefully I can spark an offerThat'd be big-time. That's huge." BERGEN CATHOLIC DUO WORTH WATCHING: It's too early to say whether Notre Dame will offer Aeneas DiCosmo or Josh McKenzie, especially before seeing the 2019 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) teammates work out at Invasion tomorrow night, but it's not too early to say both should see huge boosts in their recruitments before their processes are over even if they don't chase the attention. Sources tell us both kids are modest about the recruiting process and aren't the types who are going to be running from camp to camp this summer for the sole reason of bolstering their offer sheets. Together, they've only taken a handful of unofficial visits to this point and they don't have plans to hit many schools this summer either. It's no mistake Notre Dame is one school both decided to visit. They were encouraged to look at a couple places they wanted to get this summer and South Bend was an easy choice for both, according to sources. One source told us, "In my opinion, you can't get a better fit than Notre Dame." That's especially true for McKenzie and DiCosmo, who are standout students in addition to standout players. McKenzie, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound running back with offers from schools like Rutgers, Temple, Boston College and Maryland already, should see that list grow quickly, if not this summer than this fall, once he gets a chance to show what he can do when he's completely healthy. DiCosmo's father was a three-year starter at Boston College before a being a professional wide receiver for a few years. One source called the younger DiCosmo "as much of a no-brainer as any kid I've been around." DiCosmo's interest in Notre Dame is legit and despite being a BC grad, we're told his father is "slowly becoming a Notre Dame fanSlowly getting leaned over. It's happening." Part of that conversion is due in part to the fact that he crossed paths with former Notre Dame running back and current Irish running backs coach Autry Denson during their time together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 1999. DiCosmo picked up a trio of offers over the least several weeks with Toledo, Boston College and Virginia all pulling the trigger. While the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder plays both ways and could be a tight end at the next level, the feeling now is that if he adds a couple inches, he could be a great defensive end and if not, he could settle in at outside linebacker. An AP student, DiCosmo and his family are really looking at using the process to find a great fit for him on the field and in the classroom. Obviously, the family ties to BC are strong and the Virginia offer certainly has his attention. Stanford is a school that's also high on his list, but we truly believe Notre Dame would have a huge say in this recruitment if the Irish decide they want to offer at some point. At least one source close to DiCosmo expects him to be blown away by Notre Dame this weekend. "When he gets there, he's going to lose his mind. I think he thinks he knows, but I don't think he really knows." TREMBLE SAYS POSTPONEMENT, NOT CANCELLATION: As we reported earlier this week, top 2018 Georgia tight end Tommy Tremble won't be on campus this weekend as initially expected, but does expect to visit later in the month instead. "I'm not able to go because my sister's graduation ended up being on the 10th," said Tremble, who has offers from schools like Notre Dame, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and a host of Ivy League offers among others. Tremble has already touched base with the Notre Dame coaching staff about the situation. "They said it's fine to reschedule," he said. "All of my family is coming into town. My mom and dad were like, 'You can't miss your family and your sister's graduation.' They said rescheduling it anywhere from the 21st to the 24th would be a good time. I'm definitely coming up between the 21st and the 24th." Tremble's father played at Georgia, but since he was offered by the Irish last month, we've maintained he's no lock to be a Bulldog. He's looking forward to his visit to South Bend. "I really want to see how the coaches are with the players," he said. "I was hoping to see their coaching style during the team. I also want to see campus and see how the facilities and all of that look up there." He's set to visit Tennessee next weekend and will be on the West Coast to check out UCLA and Fresno State soon. He's taking a methodical approach to the recruiting process. "I'll probably drop a Top 10 toward the end of the summer," he said. "After that, I'll take my time and take my five official visits. After taking my officials, that's when I'll probably make my decision." The Irish clearly have his attention. "With their great football program and the degree that comes with it, it's just very favorable to me and my family." SOME SCRATCHES: In addition to Tremble, there were some other scratches for the event, which is always the case.As ISD's Jamie Uyeyama reported yesterday, top 2019 defensive tackle target Jacob Lacey seems to be doubtful at this point as he's taking the ACT tomorrow. 2018 Michigan athlete Eli Collins told us he was also set to take the ACT today, so we're not expecting him. 2019 Pennsylvania wide receiver RJ Hart told us he was going to try to make it, but had a 7-on-7 tournament. GILMAN WOULD BE GREAT GET: As ISD Publisher Mike Frank reported earlier this week, we heard nothing but positives regarding Alohi Gilman's official visit to South Bend. The transfer target from Navy was a name that just popped up for us this week, so we reached out to somebody who has worked closely with the safety prospect for their thoughts on him as a player and a young man. "As a player, he's probably one of the best natural leaders in a quiet way," said the source, who has a decade's worth of experience in coaching. "He's very humble when you meet him, but when he gets onto the field, he's something else. He's very aggressive. People follow him, guys follow him. He's very instinctual. He's actually a guy that you would want to have on your team and have as a guy who other guys are going to follow. He's a special kid." This source said that while Gilman could play either safety spot, strong safety is his more natural fit. "He's a downhill player," the source said. "He's got some range, but I think his physical run game presence is his strong suit. "He can play in coverage no question, but if you're going to play Quarters and Cover-3, he's the guy to rock down and play in the box. That's what he's best at doing." Away from the game, this source is even more bullish on Gilman. "He's one of the best kids off the field. Smart kid, great with teachers, great in the hallways, great at being an all-around kid." SALYER SET TO RETURN: This week, we were able to confirm elite 2018 Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer does plan on returning to South Bend for another unofficial visit after being on campus for last year's Invasion. "He is coming," one source told us. "I don't know exactly when, but I know he's going back." When Salyer was last in South Bend, he was accompanying his former teammate and fellow offensive lineman at Pace Academy, Andrew Thomas, who was entering his senior year at the time. Now, it's Salyer's turn to take center stage. "He came there with Andrew, so it was a little different," the source said. "Whereas now, he's going pretty much on his own to get his own perspective. But he's a very smart kid and he keeps things in perspective, so I think he'll be able to gather all of the data and everything he needs to make a good assessment. "I know they're on his list now. I know he's excited about going back out and visiting and seeing it from a different perspective. The last time he was there, he was a little bit younger." That list, we're told, also includes Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, Stanford and Florida. "They seem to be the frontrunners right now," the source said of the group, including Notre Dame. We're nowhere near projecting Salyer to Notre Dame and, in all honesty, have serious doubts about whether we'll ever get there. But just being on that list and confirming that he plans to get back to South Bend alone are huge. It's hard to overstate how much of a coup it would be if the Irish were somehow able to swing Salyer. Quite frankly, Salyer would represent the crown jewel of Notre Dame's 2018 recruiting class. He's currently ranked #5 overall on the ISD Fab 50. Salyer has been going through the recruiting process for a long time, gathering offers from dozens of the nation's top programs and getting a serious understanding for what he's looking for. So the fact that the Irish are still hanging around has to be encouraging. "He's pretty solid and he knows what he wants and what he likes," the source said. "He won't be dragging this thing through the mud. "He doesn't play that recruiting game wasting people's time or his own." Not surprisingly, the blend of athletics and academics at Notre Dame is what has his attention as much as anything. "He's obviously a very sharp, sharp kid. Academics are very important to him and his mom. He's very excited about it. And obviously the tradition and the tradition outside of the athletic part of it, the school in general. You walk in with a Notre Dame degree and it's going to carry a lot of weight." ZAIRE WILL BE THE GUY IN GAINESVILLE: With official news that former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire is headed to Florida to complete his collegiate career, we reached out to a source in Gainesville to get an idea of what the quarterback position currently looks like for the Gators. "The quarterback situation at Florida has been nothing but a rollercoaster ride since Tim Tebow left," we were told. "Florida currently has a banged-up Luke Del Rio and two redshirt freshmen who simply are not ready for game action. That's why adding Malik Zaire was such an important move. Zaire instantly steps in to compete with Felipe Franks, but Franks is simply not ready. "Zaire's ability to not only pass but run is something that Florida wanted and needs. From everything we've been told Zaire will be the guy in September against Michigan"