Recruiting Week In Review
Written by Joe Bradshaw
Notre Dame finished their disappointing 2016 season with a 45-27 loss to archrival USC. If the Irish have any chance of salvaging some success this season they’re going to have to do it on the recruiting trail. That’s going to be a tall order.
It will be up to the Notre Dame coaching staff to hit the recruiting trail hard enough to finish the Class of 2017 strong and continue building inroads into the Class of 2018. Last week, Irish Sports Daily reported on a 2018 prospect that is just beginning to see his recruitment escalate and a Class of 2017 player whose recruitment is rapidly coming to a close. What have you been missing by not being a member of Irish Sports Daily?
Isaiah Mullens, DE, 6-6, 260, Harvest Preparatory School, Columbus, OH planned on taking an unofficial visit to South Bend for Notre Dame’s game against Virginia Tech but had to cancel. He had a very good reason, though, for his absence. His team was playing in the quarterfinal round of the Ohio football playoffs, a game they won 29-15. Unfortunately for Mullens and his teammates, they lost a one-sided decision in the semi-finals to John F. Kennedy the next weekend. Prior to that game, Mullens talked to ISD about his recent contact with Notre Dame.
“Mostly game invites about me coming up to campus,” he said of the nature of his communication with the Irish. “They’ve been sending me stuff through the mail too.”
Mullens “definitely” plans to make it to South Bend at some point. He knows what he’ll be looking for when he does.
“I’d like to go there to meet the coaches, meet the players and get a good feel for the campus,” he said. “I know they’ve got a real good coach in Coach Kelly,” he said. “I know they’ve got a really good education. They’ve got good players.”
Mullens plans to hit the road this fall and visit a number of schools.
“I want to head up to Notre Dame, Pitt, Louisville, Cincinnati and some other schools,” he shared.
Right now, he has offers from Toledo and Miami of Ohio.
“My first offer was from Toledo,” he said. “I was just talking to the coach and was just about to leave,” he said. “He was like, ‘Where you going? I want to give you an offer.’ I was like, ‘What?’ I was surprised when he said that to me. I was extremely honored and kept shaking his hand. It was a blessing.”
Mullens said that college coaches are impressed by his frame, his motor and determination. Where he parlays those attributes into a decision will depend upon a number of factors.
“Getting my education will take me a long way,” he explained. “Everybody wants to go to the NFL, but if it doesn’t work out you’ve got to have a back-up plan.”
Irish Sports Daily
Mullens has a long way to go in his recruiting but Aaron Banks, OL, 6-7, 305, El Cerrito High School, El Cerrito CA is almost at the end of a long recruitment. With plans to enroll early, he’ll be making his decision sometime between December 4th and December 18th. Whatever final decision he makes, it’s a sure bet that Notre Dame will be in the running. What his final decision will be, though, remains a closely guarded secret that only Banks himself knows. He hasn’t even shared it with his mother.
“It’s a stalemate,” said Theresa Banks. “We aren’t really doing anything right now. You know as much as I do when it comes to his decision. I just don’t know. That’s what is so funny about Aaron, he won’t talk. He will just turn the other way or put his headphones on. I think I need a 24-hour notice because I don’t want to be shocked on camera. I think I am going to be shocked no matter what he does.”
Mrs. Banks does know that she and her son have good relationships with multiple coaches. For Notre Dame, offensive line coach Harry Hiestand has made a tremendous impact on both Aaron and his mom.
“The three official visits he has taken to Notre Dame, Michigan and Oregon are the schools that have come the hardest after him,” she said. “He also has great connections with all three in one way, shape or form. Coach Hiestand is a really special man. I really appreciate him and he has always made us feel very welcome. I know I can trust him.”
Banks didn’t really single out any coaching staff as standing out.
“I think it’s even across the board,” she shared. “I really don’t have a great, great relationship with any coach specifically. I have had great conversations with all three schools and Cal, Arizona State and UCLA have been awesome.”
Banks most recent official visit was to Michigan. Mrs. Banks described Jim Harbaugh as “awesome and a great guy.” Despite the recent visit, though, Mrs. Banks says Aaron still isn’t giving any indication of what he’s thinking. And though he does wear college gear, he mixes it up enough to keep everyone guessing.
“He wears Notre Dame gear all the time,” Mrs. Banks said. “He wears Michigan gear. He spent probably $800 of mom’s dollars at Notre Dame in the bookstore just on gear. I spent a lot of money at Notre Dame.”
Banks plans to enroll early at whichever school he chooses and his mother is completely behind that decision. She is also very thankful that he made it through his senior season healthy.
“I think he is excited now,” she said. “He got through the season safely and that was big for me. You hear all the horror stories of kids getting hurt their senior year.”
Mrs. Banks continued.
“I raised my kids to be independent. I have been listening to him and making sure everything is in order. He hasn’t wavered from early enrolling and he really wants to do that. He wants to get ahead of the game, train and learn the playbook. He wants to be ready to be a freshman on the field.”
These two summaries represent just a sample of the Notre Dame football recruiting information available each week on Irish Sports Daily.