2024 Glenbard South (Ill.) receiver Cam Williams had seen Notre Dame in two different environments over the last year.
The four-star prospect made a trip to a game in the fall and then returned in the spring to watch practice.
On Sunday, Williams returned to Notre Dame for a visit, but also to camp and get coached by receivers coach Chansi Stuckey at Irish Invasion.
And the trip didn’t disappoint.
"I don't know what it was, but it felt different - and in a good way,” Williams told ISD. “I talked to Coach (Tommy) Rees, Coach Stuckey and Coach (Marcus) Freeman a lot. I was there the whole day and it almost felt like an official visit, which was nice. I got the feel of how things work at Notre Dame and I don't have any bad things to say about it."
Freeman wasted little time hitting significant notes with Williams as their conversation focused on everything but football.
"He was talking not so much about football, but the importance of how Notre Dame will be able to set me up in the future,” explained Williams. “He's really good with words.
"Coach Freeman explained his emphasis on life after football. I knew a degree from Notre Dame will take you far and his whole thing is making sure his guys achieve the goals they want to achieve on or off the field. That's a huge priority for him and for a head coach to show how much he cares about his players says a lot about the type of coach he is."
"What you see is what you're going to get. He's not hiding anything.”
Williams also quickly realized Notre Dame doesn’t offer every kid in the country and the chance to put on the gold helmet carries responsibility, but also reflects his character.
“You don't see a ton of Notre Dame offers flying around,” stated Williams. “Coach Freeman said they feel I could fit in their program and that's why they offered, which was another good thing to hear from the head coach."
Stuckey also hit home with the Illinois native. Williams spent much of the day with Stuckey, including the entire camp.
"I was all ears to what he was telling and teaching me,” Williams said. “Our whole day together was great and our relationship is starting to get going. That's a good thing because without a doubt, I love Coach Stuckey. He's an amazing dude and I've connected well with him.
"Throughout the whole day, whether we were at lunch or in his room, I liked how he was open to my questions and explained how I could do this or that. He was just really helpful and I walked away with a lot after being with him for an entire day."
Williams took what he learned from Stuckey and immediately applied to his workout on Sunday night.
"I was able to apply what Coach Stuckey said throughout the day to the camp in a real life situation, which is only going to make me better,” said Williams. “Those defensive backs also helped apply what I learned from Coach Stuckey on the field."
The return trip to campus also allowed Williams to get to know some of Notre Dame’s top targets in the 2024 class. Williams had previously connected with 2024 quarterback CJ Carr, but he also hit it off with 2024 tight end Jack Larsen.
"CJ and I had talked a little bit prior to the camp,” Williams explained. “We have potential landing spots that could be the same. It was good connecting and talking - being able to throw with him was awesome.
"It was my first time meeting Jack. He's another dude with good landing spots and the fact we were all there was a good experience."
With the Notre Dame trip behind him, Williams will now look to make two more visits this summer.
"I'm definitely going to go see Michigan and I think Georgia,” Williams stated. “Personally, I feel like those are a high priority right now. After that, I might have a better understanding of what's in store for me next, but we'll see."
When it comes to a commitment, Williams has been debating whether it will come before his junior season or after, but in the present, he’s simply focused on learning more about Georgia and Michigan.
"The past two times I've been to Notre Dame, I saw everything I needed and wanted to see,” said Williams. “Michigan, I've only seen the football side, so I'm going back to see the school and campus. And hopefully, the same thing at Georgia."
Ranking
ISD: 92 (four-star)
247: 90 (four-star)
Rivals: 5.8 (four-star)
ESPN: N/R
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