Recruiting Week In Review
Written by Joe Bradshaw
The Notre Dame coaching staff continues to put in the work with members of the Class of 2022 and it paid off recently with their first commitment in that class. There have been some new scholarship offers sent out recently to 2022 recruits and these have been met with interest if not outright enthusiasm.
Last week, Irish Sports Daily reported on two prospects in the Class of 2022 that recently received Notre Dame offers. What have you been missing by not being a member of Irish Sports Daily?
Darrius Clemons, WR, 6-3, 180, Westview High School, Portland, OR has been on the Irish radar for some time now but just recently received a scholarship offer. The Notre Dame coaches were up front with him about what motivated them to pull the trigger.
“I ran a pretty fast 40 this past weekend and they said that kind of did it for them,” Clemons said.
Clemons was being humble by calling his forty “pretty fast.” He ran a laser timed 4.37 forty, a time that would have put him among the elite at the NFL combine. Of course, he brings other attributes to the table besides just speed and the Irish are just one of numerous schools that have thrown their hat into the ring. In addition to Notre Dame, Clemons currently has scholarship offers from Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, Arizona State, Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State and numerous others.
In the midst of all the offers, Clemons admitted that the Notre Dame offer stood out.
“It was really cool because Notre Dame is a place I visited multiple times,” he shared. “It’s somewhere I really like, that’s why I visited. It’s really a big relief.”
Clemons continued.
“I just like the tradition. They’re one of the winningest programs in college football and that’s what they’re known for, they win year in and year out.”
Clemons was in South Bend last summer and then again around Thanksgiving.
“It’s really cool,” he said. “Everything is old school. It reminds me of an older church. I really like the vibe there and the people there.”
Despite visiting South Bend multiple times, the four-star recruit has yet to experience the game day atmosphere.
“That’s definitely in my plans,” he said. “I’d like to see a game because I haven’t done that. I’ve been around the campus two times and I think watching a game would be really huge.”
Though it’s anyone’s guess when recruits will be able to visit campuses again, when the NCAA does open things back up, Clemons plans to hit the road.
“There’s a lot, probably too many to name, but I definitely plan to visit quite a few when things open back up,” he said.
He doesn’t yet have a timeline for narrowing his list of favorites let alone making a decision.
“Whenever I figure out which schools I could seriously think about attending,” he said of when he might finally narrow his list. “I haven’t really thought about it that much yet.”
What Clemons has thought about is what he’s looking for in his final destination.
“Somewhere me and my family feel comfortable sending me for the next four years, somewhere where I know the coach has my best interest and obviously somewhere where I can get a degree that will mean something in the real world.”
Notre Dame returned to some familiar ground when they offered a scholarship to Devon Jackson. Jackson, LB, 6-2, 200, Burke High School, Omaha, NE hails from the same high school as Notre Dame freshman Xavier Watts. The Irish coaches first noticed Burke when scouting Watts and then again when they returned in January to watch conditioning drills. After that, though, Jackson heard almost nothing from them. That changed recently when a series of phone calls between Jackson, his head coach Paul Limongi and Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator Clark Lea led to a scholarship offer.
“They like my film and they believe I could be a good fit for the program,” Jackson explained. “They think I could be a good outside linebacker for them.”
In addition to Notre Dame Jackson currently has scholarship offers from Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri, Arizona State and others. The Notre Dame offer did interest him.
“It’s a rare offer to get,” Jackson said. “You have to have good grades and be good at your position. I take it as a great opportunity because Notre Dame is more than just football. You can get opportunities outside of football, which is fantastic.”
Watts stressed the same things when he told Jackson about the Irish.
“He was talking about life after football and the great education,” Jackson recalled. “Some schools talk about having a good education, but they don’t have the education like Notre Dame. A degree from Notre Dame means more than just a regular college.”
Having a former teammate on the Irish roster, though won’t give Notre Dame any advantage.
“To me, not really,” Jackson said of whether Watts being at Notre Dame would play a role in his decision. “That’s his decision, that’s what he chose. Just because I know him better doesn’t mean I’m going to lean towards them. But I would like to get to know Notre Dame a little bit better.”
Jackson hopes to visit South Bend when the restrictions are lifted so he can get to know Notre Dame better.
“I’d like to see the campus,” he said. “I’d like to see the coaches in person and just get a feel for the campus. Sometimes you get a feel for a place and you’re able to see if they like it or not.”
He also talked about wanting to see Michigan and Arizona State moving forward. Wherever he goes, his relationships with the coaches will play a big role in his final decision.
“Someone I can trust,” Jackson said of what he’s looking for in his coaches. “Somewhere I can trust the coaches and know they won’t sugarcoat anything with me because I hate that. Someone who will help me become not just a better football play but a better man too. Someone who can help me grow as a football player versus someone who will tell me what I already know. Someone who will help me get into The League, which is where I’m trying to go.”
These two summaries represent just a sample of the Notre Dame football recruiting information available each week on Irish Sports Daily.