Elite 2021 RB Donovan Edwards Eyes Notre Dame Stop

Lance Taylor is scouring the country, checking in on some of the top running back prospects in the Class of 2021.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards‍ would definitely qualify as such, so the Irish running backs coach was at Edwards’ high school on Monday.

It looks like Taylor’s visit to West Bloomfield High School could pay immediate dividends.

“I believe Donovan is going to take an unofficial trip to Notre Dame this weekend,” West Bloomfield head coach Ron Bellamy told Irish Sports Daily.

“I know Donovan has been wanting to get out to South Bend this weekend to check out practice.”

We’re still waiting on further confirmation from Edwards that the trip has been finalized.

The 5-foot-11, 193-pounder has an impressive offer sheet; along with Notre Dame, he has offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Georgia, Oregon and Oklahoma State among several others.

Still, Bellamy says the Irish have his attention.

“It’s Notre Dame,” the coach said. “It’s one of the marquee programs in the nation, great academics.

“It’s a great school and the guys do a great job recruiting. It’s a program that he follows and it’s one that’s always been on his radar. The thought of playing at Notre Dame intrigues him.”

Taylor has certainly made a strong impression on both Edwards and Bellamy.

“He’s an awesome guy,” Bellamy said of Taylor. “He represents Notre Dame the right way. He’s a great recruiter. They don’t just recruit the kids, they recruit the coaches in a sense of developing a relationship.

“Whenever Coach comes down to our high school, he spends some time with me telling me about himself, his coaching philosophy. I think that’s very important because a lot of high school coaches have some input on a kid’s decision. It’s refreshing to see guys like him who do it the right way. You could tell he’s one of the elite recruiters in America.”

The biggest thing for Bellamy is feeling comfortable with the coaches he’s sending his kids to.

“100 percent,” he said. “You want to send your kid with a coaching staff that has some of the same values you do as a coach. The kids are used to that type of coaching. Most importantly, you want to make sure it’s a fit for that kid. I know Coach Kelly does a great job of preaching that.”

It’s also helpful that Notre Dame has some players on its roster from Michigan, including Khalid Kareem, who spent his first two years of high school at West Bloomfield.

“Donovan is very familiar with him, they went to the same middle school, same high school for a couple years,” said Bellamy. “Khalid comes back every once in a while and talks with our team. It’s one of those things where Donovan is very familiar with Khalid Kareem and his accomplishments.”

Edwards isn’t sure of any other upcoming visits. Last week he visited LSU, where he also took a trip last summer along with Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson and Alabama.