Commit Recap

Notre Dame opened its 2017 season with a 49-16 win over Temple on Saturday afternoon. Future Irish stars were also in action over the weekend for their respective high schools.

Four-star defensive tackle Ja'mion Franklin‍ and his team at North Caroline High School opened their season this past weekend with a 44-0 win over Wicomico High School. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder stood stout in the middle of his team’s defense, recording a couple tackles for loss individually, but as a whole unit the North Caroline defense recorded a safety and forced six turnovers.

Franklin loved the effort and the overall performance of his defense this past weekend. “It was just an effort thing,” expressed Franklin. “Everybody wanted to make plays and shut down the opposing team. We were flying around like bats out of hell, gang tackles everywhere and people throwing their bodies around.”  

After their shutout win this past weekend Franklin and his team will be back in action on Friday when they host Parkside High School.

Irish 5-star quarterback commit Phil Jurkovec‍ put on another clinic in week two of his season, racking up 435 passing yards, 61 yards on the ground and six total touchdowns. The Pine-Richland standout and his team are now 2-0 to start the season after their 53-29 shootout win over Mt. Lebanon. Jurkovec and his team will face their first road test of the season as they travel to face Seneca Valley High School this coming Friday.

Irish 4-star safety pledge Derrik Allen‍, who is a two-way player for Lassiter High School, helped his team to a narrow victory over the weekend. Lassiter High (3-0) remained undefeated as they beat Kell High School 38-35. A playmaker on both sides of the ball, Allen put his team on the board in the second quarter with a 6-yard receiving touchdown. The Lassiter High star and his team will be on a bye this coming week, but will look to stay undefeated the following week when they host Marietta High School.

Kevin Austin Jr., the 4-star wide receiver commit for the Irish, was also in action. The 6-foot-3 200-pound receiver caught five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown to help North Broward Prep squeak out a 31-28 win over Benjamin and remain undefeated in their home opener. Austin Jr. and his team will travel to face Gulliver Prep this coming Friday.

Markese Stepp‍, a 4-star running back pledge, was in action this past Friday with his team at Cathedral High School. Stepp and his team dropped their third straight game 25-20 to Pickerington Central High School. The 6-foot, 205-pound running back managed 82 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. Cathedral High School will host Indianapolis Bishop Chatard High School this coming Friday.

St. Peter’s Prep opened its season this past weekend and a stacked defense helped propel the Marauders to a 48-0 victory over Union City. St. Peter’s Prep’s dominant defense let up only three total yards, led by three 4-star Irish commits, linebacker Shayne Simon‍ and twin defensive linemen Jayson Ademilola‍ and Justin Ademilola‍. Simon, who also plays wide receiver for St. Peter’s, hauled in three catches for 77 yards and also returned an interception 26 yards for a score in the third quarter. After a dominant week one win, the three Irish commits and the rest of the St. Peter’s team will travel to take on St. Joseph’s Prep this coming Friday.

George Takacs‍, Notre Dame’s 4-star tight end pledge recruit, and his team at Gulf Coast High School won their week 2 matchup easily this past weekend, 46-6 over Hialeah High School. Takacs hauled in three passes for 53 yards in the win. Gulf Coast High School will look for its third straight win this coming week when they host Miami Monsignor Pace High School.

4-star linebacker commit Ovie Oghoufo‍ and his fellow teammates at Harrison High School won their first game of the season this past week when they beat Troy High School easily 30-3. Oghoufo, who plays both sides of the ball, caught a 23-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to extend his team’s lead to 28-3. Oghoufo and his teammates will have their home opener this coming week when they host Stoney Creek High School.

Irish 3-star linebacker pledge Bo Bauer‍ and his team at Cathedral Prep were in action this past Friday night. Cathedral Prep trounced Erie High School 38-0 to move to 2-0 to begin the season. Bauer and his team will travel to McDowell High School for a rivalry game this Friday.

3-star offense lineman commit John Dirksen‍ and his team at Marion Local High School traveled to face Patrick Henry High School this past Friday. Dirksen and the rest of the offensive line paved the way for a high-powered offense that put 41 points on the board in a shutout victory. Marion High School will be on the road this coming week to face rival high school Coldwater.

3-star offensive lineman commit Cole Mabry‍ and his team at Brentwood High School were in action for week 3 of their season this past Friday and won with ease, 38-0 over Dickson County to give them a 3-0 record to begin the season. An offense that is led by Mabry and a strong offensive line has put up 79 points in the last two weeks combined.

3-star running back commit Jahmir Smith‍ and his team at Lee County High School hosted Wakefield High School for their first home game of the season. Lee County was victorious in blowout fashion, winning 39-0 to give them a 3-0 record to begin the year. Smith has been unstoppable as he has led the offense for the Yellow Jackets so far this season along with a lot of help from a very good defense that has three straight shutouts to begin the season. J. Mike Blake of the News & Observer wrote, “The only defense that seems capable of stopping Notre Dame running back recruit Jahmir Smith wears the same jersey as him.” Smith and the rest of the Lee County team will travel to face Hoke County High School this coming Friday.

3-star wide receiver pledge Micah Jones‍ and his team at Warren Township High School hosted New Trier High School for their home opener this past Friday.  Jones and his team squeaked out a close victory 7-3 to give them a 1-1 record on the year. The Irish commit and his team will host Libertyville High School this coming Friday.

4-star 2019 defensive tackle pledge Jacob Lacey‍ and his team at South Warren High School were in action this past weekend. Lacey and his team won 36-7 against Franklin-Simpson High School to remain undefeated at a 3-0. The 6-foot-2, 300-pounder and the rest of the defense have let up just 13 points total over the last couple weeks. Lacey and his team will travel to face Central Hardin High School this coming Friday.

4-star 2019 quarterback commit Cade McNamara‍ held on this past Friday to win 27-26 over Edison High School. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound commit threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns in the win. McNamara and his team will look to stay undefeated this coming Friday when they host Hug High School.

Despite losing their home opener and losing Irish 4-star linebacker commit Jack Lamb‍ to injury, Great Oak High School was able to travel to King High School and leave with a 19-0 shutout win.