Top 2023 DE Jayden Wayne Enjoys Notre Dame Visit

2023 Lincoln (Wash.) defensive end Jayden Wayne‍ has been coast to coast this month and made a stop in the Midwest this weekend. 

Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and Washington have hosted the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder this month and he’s planning to make stops at Florida, LSU, Miami, Oregon, Penn State. 

The composite five-star prospect stopped at Notre Dame on Saturday before heading to Michigan on Sunday and saw something a little different than his previous stops. 

“I liked it,” Wayne told ISD. “It was very traditional.” 

It was a busy weekend at Notre Dame as the Irish are hosting a long list of official visitors, but defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman and defensive line coach Mike Elston made plenty of time for the Wayne. 

“Coach Freeman was very hype and excited to meet me and my parents,” explained Wayne. “We watched film and he told me how Notre Dame can help me after football.” 

Elston was also able to explain to the Tacoma native where he would fit into the Irish defense.

“Coach Elston was cool,” stated Wayne. “We went over film and my position. He likes me as a stand up outside linebacker and defensive end.” 

In addition to Elston and Freeman, head coach Brian Kelly made time to meet with Wayne and his family. 

“I met with Coach Kelly and he was very confident in me,” Wayne said. “He wanted me to ask a lot of questions and learn about the school.” 

Wayne was impressed with the staff and people around Notre Dame during his time on campus. He didn’t get to meet any of the team, but he was able to hang with a few of the recruits on campus. 

“I only saw the official visit recruits,” Wayne stated. “All the coaches were excited to see me.” 

It was a quick trip, but one that was worth it as Wayne got a good feel for the campus, culture and learned a few things he didn’t know going into the visit. 

“I was surprsied by the amount of students that attend Notre Dame,” said Wayne. 

And did the Irish do enough to get a return trip from Wayne? 

“Yes.” 

Offers: Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Cal, Colorado, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Georgetown, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UNLV, USC, Utah, Washington and Washington State

Rankings
ISD: 95 (four-star)
247: 94 (four-star)
Rivals: 6.0 (four-star)
Composite: 99.28 (five-star)

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