Notre Dame Football Begins Recruiting Push
The Notre Dame staff has started its "May Evaluation Period" today as the coaching staff will be making calls, Zooms, etc., to high school coaches in their respective recruiting areas.
Over the next week, you can expect a huge push from the Irish staff in relation to communication with high school coaches, guidance counselors, etc., as they usually would in person if they were able to hit the road.
It's a great move by Notre Dame because the high school coach has become less and less involved in the recruiting process in recent years. Social Media and technology have allowed direct access to recruits and their families in most cases, so this is an excellent way to maintaining or cultivating relationships with those coaches/high school staff as college coaches haven't been able to hit the road in over a year.
Here's where the coaches are hitting up on Thursday:
Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Tommy Rees: Kansas City
Running Backs Coach Lance Taylor: Charlotte
Receivers Coach Del Alexander: Arizona
Offensive Line Coach Jeff Quinn: Michigan
Tight Ends Coach John McNulty: New Jersey
Defensive Coordinator Marcus Freeman: Cincinnati, Southern Ohio
Defensive Line Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Mike Elston: DMV
Cornerbacks Coach Mike Mickens: Louisiana
Safeties Coach Chris O'Leary: Tennessee
Special Teams Coordinator Brian Polian: Indiana
As most of you have seen, Notre Dame is also releasing billboards across the country with current players blasted all over it. I believe most of the billboards are in Notre Dame's top recruiting areas, so you're seeing Kyle Hamilton pop up in ATL, Kyren Williams/Gabe Rubio in STL, Kurt Hinish in Pittsburgh, etc.
"Strategically, we're looking at May as if we were on the road, making our presence felt from our office,” said head coach Brian Kelly. “It means that in your geographical recruiting areas, you're Zooming coaches, making your presence known within your geographical area. We're going to be doing some other things that will get the attention of those people in that geographical area that are within the framework of the NCAA rules."
The billboards are going to grab the attention of folks in the area, but it's a clear message to recruits who see them on Social Media or in-person that Notre Dame is helping build each players brand by attaching their Social Media handles, which is a big-time move as college athletics moves forward with the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) legislation.
Personal branding will be taking a significant step forward and Notre Dame jumping on NIL branding is a smart move to show its current players they are for it and future targets.
Expect Notre Dame to target Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Dallas, Atlanta, the DMV, Los Angeles, Tampa, Phoenix, Jersey City and New York City with its billboards.
Mike Elston moved back into the position of recruiting coordinator earlier this year and he’s playing to his strengths of creativity as the Irish start the May Evaluation Period remotely.
My strengths are the creative part and how we get them to say yes,” Elston said in April. “We have two parts to the recruiting office. We have our evaluation piece and then we have our creativity and get them to say yes piece - the acquisition of the talent phase.
"Brian (Polian) was really good at the evaluation part, so I learned a lot from that and it's been really fun. Now, to come back and help implement a little bit more of the creative side and lean on the things Brian put into place in evaluation and for me, to work with the recruiting office like the Pot of Gold Day.”