Rayshawn Duncan Jr. has a handful of early offers, but after a trip to Notre Dame earlier this month, the 2027 Ohio running back is looking to add more.
“It was good,” Duncan told Irish Sports Daily of his visit to South Bend for the Irish’s game against Navy.
“I got to see how Jeremiyah Love plays for real. Talking to (running backs coach Ja’Juan) Seider was big because Notre Dame is a big school. Me talking to Notre Dame is a great thing for me moving forward. But just talking to Jeremiyah Love was a good conversation after the game and before.”
Love gave the 5-foot-8, 190-pounder from Bedford High School some advice and encouragement.
“Jeremiyah said we were going to talk more because I follow him on Instagram and Twitter,” said Duncan. “He gave me a lot of tips and followed me back and said he was going to give me more tips; told me to stay focused in school and my time is going to come and when it does I've got to put on.
“He said when he was in high school, his junior year, he was the same size as me. He said by the time he got to his senior year, he spent a lot of time in the weight room, so it makes me want to get in the weight room more.”
Duncan, who currently has offers from Arizona, Illinois, Akron and Kent State, also enjoyed his chat with Seider.
“He said he watched my tape a couple times,” Duncan said of Seider. “He watched it three times because my Hudl tape was only like four minutes, but he said he saw that I shared reps. He said he watched some games live. He said he'd been watching since the end of my sophomore year.”
Knowing that the Irish are keeping their eye on him is exciting for Duncan.
“They're a big program and they just played Ohio State in the national championship last year, which gave me a boost for my ego for next year saying like, 'OK, now I know what I've got to do to be the best back I can,' now that I see that bigger schools looking at me,” he acknowledged.
“It's exciting. It boosts my confidence.”
Seider plans to keep in touch.
“Coach Seider said he was going to get me back down there once the season is over for an official visit,” Duncan said. “I can't wait to take that. He said we're going to do unofficial first, then we'll do an official visit after.
“He said he's thinking about offering me. He said he had a great conversation with my dad. My dad was telling, that I'm a great kid, great player who can play at the next level for him or any other school that's looking to get me.”
Duncan is looking forward to returning to South Bend.
“I want to build a relationship more with Notre Dame, the coaches and the players and a few of the recruits that I'm going to be there with,” he said. “I just want to see what they've got to offer for me to go play for Notre Dame instead of a different school.”
After Notre Dame, Duncan visited Akron and later this month, he’ll check out Michigan and Syracuse.
Duncan isn’t in a rush to make a decision, but knows what he will be looking for when that time comes.
“Just the coaches, the atmosphere, the history behind the school. I want to go to a school where I have a relationship with the coach, where I'm going to play and either my freshman year or going into my sophomore year. Then, the culture, the environment, the people I'm around and the history behind the school.”
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