Isaak Togia

Since his arrival in South Bend, we've heard nothing but positive things about new Notre Dame strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis and as the season approaches, that hasn't changed at all. We continue to hear from multiple sources that the changes in the strength department could end up having the biggest impact on the team this season. At the end of last season, the players asked in some instances, begged to be challenged and Balis hasn't disappointed them in the least. In the past, there was a much looser atmosphere in the weight room with few consequences. Not anymore. Balis got their attention, got it quickly and it's worked. There's been huge improvements in commitment and accountability among the team. This, as much as anything, will likely make the most impact. We also continue to hear many positives surrounding new Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko. From what we've been told, he's a very, very hard worker. The players on his side of the ball really like him and badly want to turn things around. Still, it's no secret Notre Dame is more talented on offense than defense right now. The Irish will be thin at some spots, but the starting talent is certainly good enough to beat a lot of teams. There is certainly reason to be excited about the starting linebackers. Nyles Morgan and Greer Martini are expected to be the starters inside and Martini has made some really nice strides over the spring. There's reason for optimism that Drue Tranquill can become a real playmaker at the Rover position in Elko's scheme. Daelin Hayes could be ready to show everybody why he was such a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school and is working hard to do so. Julian Okwara appears ready to spell him at times at Drop, which would also be a big positive. In the middle, Daniel Cage would certainly be a loss to an already thin position, but there's some optimism about Jerry Tillery getting ready to play harder than ever. It remains to be seen if that'll be the case on Saturdays, but we've heard positive things so far.Jay Hayes is somebody who could see some time on the interior, especially if somebody else emerges to provide quality minutes at strongside defensive end. Depth is certainly a concern. Notre Dame will need somebody like Elijah Taylor to step up as the options beyond him are limited.There's still hope that Navy safety transfer Alohi Gilman will be ruled immediately eligible to play, but that hasn't been ruled on officially yet. If he is eligible, look for him to have a real, real good chance at starting at strong safety. Gilman was very productive for the Midshipmen and was a one-man wrecking crew against the Irish last year and had a large part in why Navy won that game. Adams one-on-one situations against Josh Adams on three different plays and brought Adams down all three times. Jalen Elliott and Isaiah Robertson will also be in the mix whether Gilman is eligible or not. Nick Coleman looks to be first in line to start at free safety.Corner is another spot with reasons to be hopeful. Nick Watkins has always been a guy who provided size at the position, but his really flashed some legit speed of late as well, clocking a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. For comparison's sake, Cole Luke was clocked at 4.7.If he's fully healthy, Shaun Crawford could finally have the impact he's shown he's capable of having during his brief stints on the field. He'll be the nickel at least and will have a chance to be the starter at one spot. Notre Dame should have at least eight offensive linemen it knows it can count on coming into camp. Second-year guys Tommy Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg could end up splitting time early as it's really close between the two with Eichehberg being better in pass protection and Kraamer having the edge in run game. That might not be settled by the start of the season, so they could rotate a bit early. Hunter Bivin is back for a fifth year and can definitely provide some solid minutes as a veteran while the feeling after spring practice is early enrollee Rob Hainsey could play this year if need be. There's been a lot of rumors surrounding Kevin Stepherson's status for months, but we haven't heard anything to make us believe he won't be available for the entire season unless something changes. Obviously, he's an important piece to the offense, but we're not sure everybody realizes just how important. Stepherson's presence at wideout on one side would take a lot of pressure off of Equanimeous St. Brown on the other while also providing flexibility to let both Miles Boykin and Chase Claypool develop. Some people have even said the wideout could be the best player on the entire team and one with the potential to be a truly amazing player before his career is finished. Obviously, the other player in that conversation is quarterback Brandon Wimbush. He's in fantastic physical shape and is embracing his role as team leader. He's a very calm, comfortable kid and as many people have told us in the past, "The sky is the limit." CRAWFORD READY: It's been a long road for Notre Dame defensive back Shaun Crawford as he's battled back from an Achilles injury in week two last fall. Not much has changed when it comes to Crawford's mindset, according to a source. "He's been working out like a mad man as he's always done," laughed the source. Despite the injury, Crawford's confidence has stayed sky high. Last year's game at Texas showed he belonged at this level and it has been the driving force for Crawford's aggressive rehab this offseason. When it comes to Crawford's outlook in 2017, it's simple. "Playoffs and he believes Brandon Wimbush will surprise people," stated the source. BOYKIN, OTHERS COULD BE IN FOR BOOSTS: With the new faces on Notre Dame's coaching staff, it's tough to know what to expect exactly from each new coach. We can learn some things about the new staff members from the previous players they coached, though, and how they utilized those player's talents. There might not be a better example of this than wide receivers coach Del Alexander. He held the same role at Arizona State prior to coming to South Bend and his star pupil was Jaelen Strong. He was the top option for the Sun Devils and Equanimeous St. Brown is the likely number one guy for the Irish, but the closer comparison in terms of skill set might be Myles Boykin.It might not be a coincidence that Boykin had a bit of a breakout spring working with Alexander and his strengths resemble what Strong did really well. No one was better at high-pointing the football and using his body to box out defenders than Strong and that is something Boykin is going to want to continue to get better at during his time with Alexander. With St. Brown, Boykin, and Chase Claypool as another big target, it's going to be interesting to see the maturation of these three and how Alexander can get them to emulate what Strong did working with him at ASU.WHAT WILL SIMON SAY?: Yesterday, Shayne Simon told us if he doesn't have a final decision this week, he'll have one early next week. So the Notre Dame staff will know very soon whether the New Jersey linebacker/safety is in, giving the Irish their very top target to fill Mike Elko's Rover spot, or whether they'll need to look elsewhere.At this point, our guess is the former. We're not sure this is a complete slam dunk yet, but our sources and other indicators suggest Notre Dame is the team to beat heading into the final days of this race. Michigan remains in the race as well, but we haven't been hearing UCLA as much recently as were earlier in the month and in June.If Simon does choose Notre Dame, don't overlook the impact of St. Peter's Prep head coach Rich Hansen. Hansen sends kids to BCS schools every year and he doesn't tell kids where to go, but with Wimbush and Jayson and Justin Ademilola, it's obvious how he feels about Notre Dame and that's a good thing for the Irish.TRENDING OWEH?: Coming into yesterday's unofficial visit to Notre Dame, it was pretty well known the Irish had ground to make up on Ohio State and Penn State with 2018 New Jersey defensive end Jayson Oweh, but it seems like there may have been even more space to make up than we initially realized.Much of the optimism about Notre Dame's chances after visits to South Bend and Ohio State last month centered on the idea that the Buckeyes could fill up at the position. Well, our sources tell us Oweh is a take all of the way for Ohio State, where he'll be for tonight's Friday Night Lights event. Not only that, multiple sources on different sides of the situation are confident Notre Dame is running third, at least coming into yesterday's visit. It sounds like it's a much closer Oweh has always been interested in the Irish, which is why he was making another trip to South Bend, so maybe Notre Dame can find a way to stay in the game, but one source told us he wouldn't be surprised if Oweh was committed to the Buckeyes by the end of the weekend.A source informed Irish Sports Daily that Oweh and his mother enjoyed the trip to South Bend on Thursday, but we don't get the vibe it was enough to overtake either Ohio State or Penn State at this point.McGRONE TAKING TIME, BUT NOT TOO MUCH: Initially, Cameron McGrone planned on letting his recruitment play out until sometime in October, but we wouldn't be surprised to see that timetable get accelerated, possibly to the point of having a decision sometime next month.The 2018 Indianapolis linebacker does have a visit planned to Michigan for the Wolverines' BBQ next Saturday with no current plans to return to Notre Dame this summer.We're told the lack of a return trip to South Bend on the docket has to do with scheduling. The Irish hoped to get McGrone on campus to get a truly extensive look at the program and the school, but his availability was limited based on his own football team and other commitments. We doubt you'll see much change to McGrone's schedule as the first priority will be getting acclimated to his own senior schedule, which starts in two weeks.Still, we hear the contact between McGrone and the Irish remains ongoing, so they should have a chance at getting him back on campus before a decision is finalized.ND REMAINS IN MIX WITH COTA: When Braden Lenzy decommitted from Notre Dame last month, we thought that might be the end of Notre Dame's chances with Chase Cota considering the friendship between the 2018 Oregon wide receivers, but while Lenzy's initial decision may have helped Notre Dame get in the race for Cota, Lenzy's final decision hasn't resulted in the Irish being out of the race for Cota.Cota hasn't finalized his official visit schedule just yet, but at this point, we expect him to make a return trip to South Bend for a game this fall. He had a strong understanding of Notre Dame coming into his first trip, for the Blue-Gold Game back in April. While he was there, he learned more about why the school isn't for everybody, but Cota does seem like the kind of person Notre Dame is for.With a father who played in the NFL, Cota knows what it takes to be successful at the highest levels of the sport and the idea of focusing the vast majority of his time on football and school isn't the kind of the thing that'll be likely to scare him off.His father played at Oregon and there are a lot of people in his ear to stay home and be a Duck, but we don't get the sense anybody in Cota's innermost circle are pushing him one way or the other. One source speculated that that wouldn't matter much anyway, stressing the fact that Cota is very much his own man and will be making the decision he believes is best for him.WILL DISTANCE BE A FACTOR FOR TOGIA?: Notre Dame offered 2018 California linebacker Isaak Togia on Tuesday and the three-star prospect immediately put the Irish in his top five. Togia will use an official visit to Notre Dame in the fall, but with any California kid, the issue of distance will arise. "I want my parents to come to every game, but if I have to go to the other side of the country, then that's what I am going to have to do," said Togia. "I want to further my future at the best place for me." Having the chance to play close to is nice for every prospect, but Togia already realizes a school like Notre Dame will be on TV each week and make the choice a little easier. "Family plays a big part for me because I really love my family," Togia explained. "I'd love to see them after every game in person. Division-I and Notre Dame, I am going to be on TV and they can still watch me. "I'd say distance matters a little bit, but not too much. It won't sway my decision." 2018 AL LB TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Recruiting has accelerated so much that underclassman prospects can almost receive as much attention as seniors once the high school football season rolls around, but there are still plenty of targets who don't really land on the board until their final seasons of high school ball.2018 Alabama linebacker Josh Marsh is already on the boards of several programs with more than a dozen offers from schools like Louisville, Memphis, Purdue and Wake Forest among others. The 6-foot-3, 218-pounder didn't have much direct contact with Mike Elko or Clark Lea when the new Irish assistants were with the Demon Deacons, but Marsh was definitely a name they knew.And since arriving in South Bend, Lea has opened up a discussion with Marsh about Notre Dame. Marsh already knows a bit about the program and even visited for the Virginia Tech game last fall. Lea let Marsh know the Irish would be keeping tabs on him during the first few games of the season and evaluating him with regard to a potential offer at that point.Marsh is in no rush to make a decision, so that timeline works fine for him and it's clear the Irish would be serious, serious contenders if they ever did decide to offer. He's hoping to get back to South Bend for a game this fall.Marsh, who clocked a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash at a Texas camp, was invited to camp at Auburn and will be working out for the Tigers today.https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5146819/58e68dd4e97ab731f02f4cd1AJAVON CONTINUES TO IMPRESS: 2019 safety Litchfield Ajavon impresses people on the field on a daily basis, but he is just as impressive off the field. We heard from a source who spoke with Ajavon last week for the first time. "Ajavon is a quiet, mild-mannered young man who is taking one of the more unique approaches a prospect can to recruiting," the source stated.Ajavon has been all over the country visiting Notre Dame, Michigan, Stanford, and Wisconsin this summer, but the four-star prospect isn't ready to name a leader or even a top group. Instead, Ajavon is focused on his team and upcoming football season. Notre Dame did make a big impression on Ajavon and it's one that is sticking with the Virginia native. "It was a fun visit," Ajavon said. "I went there with my coach. I love campus. I love the coaching staff. I love the school. It's a great school, as well as the other schools that I've visited. They all have something to offer."Ajavon will narrow down his list after the season ends and plans on using just one official visit, which will be to the school he gives his commitment. IRISH VS. AGGIES: Notre Dame could find itself in a couple recruiting battles against Texas A&M in the months to come. Last week in this space, we talked about 2018 Texas defensive end Joseph Ossai, who is a strong Aggie lean, but has plans to get to South Bend this summer. 2019 Texas linebacker Nana Osafo-Mensah is another guy who is intrigued by both the Irish and the Aggies and another who has talked about visiting South Bend soon."He's definitely looking into it," one source told us. "I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him make the trip."Notre Dame was an offer he wanted badly and will take seriously, but Texas A&M has already done a great job building a relationship with Osafo-Mensah, who has already visited College Station twice this summer and could make a third stop within the next few weeks.But Texas A&M could find itself fielding off many of the same negative recruiting tactics as Notre Dame."Right now, A&M coaches have to worry about their job status," the source said. "That's the biggest hurdle they're fighting right now with some people talking about them maybe not being there next year."But with the Aggies expecting to start a freshman at quarterback and having to replace some key guys who handled the ball last year, not to mention No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Myles Garrett and defensive end Daeshon Hall, who was picked in the third round, it may not matter how well they start as how well they finish.Our source couldn't put a number on how many wins would be needed for head coach Kevin Sumlin to keep his job."I think it's a matter of how they get whatever they get," the source said. "If they have another November collapse this year, I think people will be (upset)."If they have a winning season and it looks good, they should probably keep him, but I don't know if seven wins gets him another year."But if there's a change at coach, there will be the potential plenty of changes with recruits."With all of these kids, if there's a coaching change, I think it kind of flips the script on a lot of things, so you could see a lot of changes at that point. Then it all depends on who they bring in."COACHES MAKE IMPACTS ON McNAMARA: While much of our attention at The Opening in Oregon earlier this month was on the prospects working out, Jordan Palmer definitely caught our attention as a coach during the event.Carson Palmer's younger brother played at UTEP and spent several years as a reserve quarterback in the NFL. With that background, it's no surprise Palmer is in the personal quarterback coach business, but we were struck not only by his acumen and attitude toward quarterbacks, but by the way he handled his entire team and the width of his knowledge.Palmer has coached new Notre Dame quarterback commit Cade McNamara since the 2019 prospect was in the seventh grade."He's very intelligent," McNamara said of Palmer. "I put all of my trust into Jordan. He's definitely one of my mentors in life. He's very intelligent. He works with the best in the country."Working with Palmer has also given McNamara the opportunity to work alongside guys like Deshaun Watson and Sam Darnold."It's been a really great experience," McNamara said."He expects the most out of you and he wants everyone to reach their full potential. He's a great coach. He's actually pretty laid back and it's really fun when we go work out."As far as the Notre Dame staff goes, Brian Polian, Tommy Rees and Brian Kelly all played pivotal roles in landing McNamara's commitment.Polian, the former head coach at Nevada, got things started with McNamara, a Reno native, before getting him in touch with Rees."He was great during the recruiting process," McNamara said of Rees. "As a coach, I couldn't ask for more. Our relationship is already so great. He's a great guy, great man. I have a ton of respect and I can't wait to play for him."McNamara said the fact that Rees played quarterback for the Irish was "huge.""He's been a player here at Notre Dame and the fact that that tool is there for me and all of time he's already been there is great."HAUSER HAS SEVERAL SCHOOLS IN PURSUIT: The Notre Dame men's basketball program has done a great job landing targets over the past several months, starting with four-star 2018 point guard Prentiss Hubb and former Top 15 national prospect and UConn transfer Juwan Durham before adding Top 100 targets Robby Carmody and Dane Goodwin as wings.2018 Wisconsin forward Joey Hauser is the next top target for the Irish, but he may be the most difficult pull of all. The 6-foot-9, 210-pounder from Stevens Point, Wisc., is being pushed hard to stay in-state and play for Wisconsin or Marquette, where his brother had impressive freshman year for the Golden Eagles last season. Tom Izzo and Michigan State are also making a strong push.The Irish are working hard to convince Hauser he'd be a great fit for their system, especially with the talent they've put together recently, and hoping to get him down to South Bend for an official visit. One source we spoke with this week said it'll be key whether the pull to play with his brother at Marquette is strong enough to keep him home. If not, Notre Dame could have just as good a shot as anybody here.QUICK, BUT POWERFUL READ: If you're looking for a quick story on how one man's personal struggle led to a deep love for college football, check out The Fall Of My Discontent, available on Amazon via Kindle."Your setbacks and past may shape you, but do not have to define you. The true story of a college football player from a small town in Texas with professional aspirations beyond school and sports, but one who was faced with private challenges he was not sure he had the strength, or even the desire, to overcome alone."The author is Roy Smythe, MD, the father of current Notre Dame tight end Durham Smythe