Ja'mion Franklin Ready To Sign After Official Visit

2018 North Caroline (Md.) defensive lineman Ja'mion Franklin‍ hadn’t been wavering on his commitment to Notre Dame, but the four-star prospect returned to South Bend over the weekend and left knowing he made the right choice for his future. 

“It was great,” the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder said of his official visit. “It turned into everything I was hoping it was going to be. I had a great time, and it was kind of a relief to have confirmation that I made a great decision. 

“I got to be around the guys, coaches and talking to admissions. I spoke to all the people I needed to talk to and it overall just reassured me.”  

Franklin’s visit started off by attending The Echoes on Friday night. The awards banquet is one of the highlights of the season as it allows players, coaches, and families to celebrate the year. 

“The banquet was great,” stated Franklin. “It was a good awards show. It showed you how serious Notre Dame takes football and how special the football team ends up being. There were a lot of big announcements there with Drue (Tranquill) and Nic Weishar coming back for a fifth year.”

Tranquill’s announcement to return to Notre Dame wasn’t lost on Franklin. The Maryland native knows having an established leader coming back will only help the defense. 

“I was like ‘Hell yeah,’” Franklin said. “I did a fist pump. I was sitting next to the Ademilola twins. I looked back at them and said ‘Hey, we got one coming back.’

“We’re going to do great things with that leadership coming back. He’s an overall great linebacker. He could have been drafted by somebody, so it’s only going to help us out.” 

Franklin’s time with the commits only helped give him the reassurance he needed, but he has made a great friend in Jayson Ademilola‍ dating back to the summer.  

“We’re a very tight-knit group,” explained Franklin. “We have the group chat, and whoever commits, we add them in there. I probably have the best relationship with the twins, especially Jayson. We roomed together at The Opening, and since then we’ve been tight.” 

2018 Alabama defensive end Malik Langham‍ made his first trip to Notre Dame, and Franklin made sure to do his part. Much like he was recruited in the spring by Markese Stepp and others, Franklin took it upon himself to make sure Langham got his questions answered. 

“He got there kind of late, but you could tell that he was in awe,” Franklin stated. “We ate dinner together, and I was in his ear the whole time talking with him and his dad. He seemed to have a great time. I heard he mentioned me in an article saying he had a great time with the other guys and me.

“I was just myself. I told him why I chose the University of Notre Dame and I think he saw for himself why I made my decision.” 

The other highlight for Franklin was seeing Notre Dame practice on Saturday afternoon. The Irish held a shorter practice than normal, but the quality of work was on display for the recruits. 

“It was different,” Franklin said. “There was a lot of technical work and stuff that will benefit you as a player rather than focusing on the whole team. It’s more centered on your position, so I enjoyed seeing how much work and reps they got for each person at their position.” 

As for the future, Franklin focused on a date eight days from today.  

“I will be signing at my school on December 20th,” said Franklin. 
 

Senior Highlights 

The Perfect Gift For Your Favorite ND Friend or Family Member: ISD GIFT CARD