3-Star Massachusetts WR Jay Brunelle
WR Jay Brunelle
Ranking
ISD: 88 – 3-Star
Composite: 86.2 – 3-Star
Vitals
6-2, 200
St. John’s (Paxton, Massachusetts)
Senior Stats
52 receptions, 1,071 yards, 11 TDs
Recruiter
Brian Polian
Recruitment Rundown
Brunelle visited Notre Dame for a Junior Day back in February and was told the Irish liked him, but would need to see him in camp before offering. That was fine with him as he craves opportunities to prove himself. But in the months between that trip and June’s Irish Invasion, the contact and interest seemed to wane while other schools like Michigan only turned up the heat. Brunelle even considered skipping Irish Invasion as he wondered whether it would make more sense to visit a school with genuine interest. But he wanted to follow through on the commitment he made to attend the camp. Before balls were even put in the air, Brunelle had grabbed the attention of the entire staff with his testing times and by the time one-on-ones were finished, he had established himself as the star of the event. The Irish offered a scholarship immediately afterward.
While some figured it would only be a matter of time before Brunelle committed to the Irish, that really wasn’t the case. He was seriously considering Michigan when he took an official visit to Ann Arbor later that month. It wasn’t until the Irish went all in, explaining that Brunelle had become the next wide receiver on their board in the following days that he felt comfortable pulling the trigger for the Irish and did so on June 26th.
St. John’s Offensive Coordinator Chris Moriarty
“I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s playing on Sundays. I know it sounds crazy, but the more I watch him and the more he plays, I could see him playing professional football.
“I’ve been lucky. I’ve had three or four kids make it to the NFL. Those kids loved football and really wanted it. I think in terms of work ethic, he even has it over the guys I’ve seen make it to the next level.”
ISD Expert Jamie Uyeyama
Brunelle has the drive to get better, which is exactly what earned him an offer at Irish Invasion. He works at it. He puts a lot of effort into the game and anyone who does it as much as he does obviously loves it.
That goes a long way when it comes to making someone a good player as long as they have some talent to go with it. Brunelle has that and showed more of an ability to separate vertically as a senior. He's a prospect with a very high floor who has the potential to develop into a solid number two receiver for the Irish.
Favorite ISD Quote
“The overall mentality of Notre Dame is to be excellent in every single thing you do. I think the academics really differentiate Notre Dame from other schools, where they can kind of get you by. At Notre Dame, they want your very best. I think that philosophy and mentality toward academics is awesome and will help build character.
“Where Notre Dame really differs is how much they prioritize that, not just trying to get you by, but really trying to get you excel, which is something I was looking for and I think I found it.”