Tank Winters has plenty of places he could be this fall.
But when the 2029 Illinois safety thinks about college football, Notre Dame is one of the first programs that comes to mind.
This weekend, Winters will get his first opportunity to see it for himself in a game atmosphere.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder will make the trip to South Bend for Saturday’s home opener against Rice. It will be the first college visit of the fall for the Cahokia High School standout.
“I'm headed there for the weekend,” Winters told Irish Sports Daily.
Notre Dame hasn't offered Winters yet, but there has been preliminary interest from the Irish. Winters and his circle have been in contact with recruiting assistant Justice Bathas, while general manager Mike Martin has also shown interest.
“I have been talking to Justice,” Winters said. “I like him.”
For Winters, the trip will be an opportunity to get a much closer look at a program he already holds in high regard.
“I want to be able to see everything,” he said. “I want to be able to see the locker room and stuff like that.”
While the Irish haven't talked with Winters about a potential offer yet, they have shown genuine interest and he knows what an offer from that program would mean.
“When you think about college football, you think about Notre Dame, so that's one of the biggest things,” he said.
The Cahokia, Ill., native already owns offers from Penn State, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa among others.
At this stage of the process, Winters isn't ready to reveal whether any of those schools have started to separate themselves.
“I don't know yet,” he laughed. “I can't tell anybody yet.”
There will be plenty of opportunities for Winters to learn more about his options this fall.
Notre Dame will be his first stop, but he will also visit Wisconsin and Missouri. He expects to make trips to Illinois, Iowa and Penn State as well.
“I got a lot for sure,” he said of his fall visit schedule. “Notre Dame is going to be my first stop.”
As a 2029 prospect, Winters is in no rush to make a decision, although the early visits will give him an opportunity to determine which programs can provide what he's ultimately looking for.
“I just want somewhere I could become better, not just as a player, but as a better man with a family of players.”
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