Recruiting Week In Review
Written by Joe Bradshaw
Just one year removed from its best rushing season in recent memory, Notre Dame finds itself with limited options in the run game going into 2018. Tony Jones, Jr. appears to be the go to guy, by default at this point, though once Dexter Williams clears up some issues, he could serve as a very nice change of pace back. The loss of CJ Holmes and Deon McIntosh, two players that the Irish were counting heavily on, demonstrates how a team can never have too much depth at any position. Notre Dame built upon its future running back depth by earning the commitment of St. Louis native Kyren Williams but they’re not stopping there.
Last week Irish Sports Daily reported on a Class of 2019 running back that Notre Dame is heavily recruiting, seeking to bolster its thin running back depth. Of course, any good running game starts with the play of the big guys up front and while the offensive line class of 2019 appears to be outstanding, Offensive Line Coach Jeff Quinn isn’t resting on his laurels. He and the rest of the coaching staff are recruiting 2020 linemen as well. What have you been missing by not being a member of Irish Sports Daily?
King Doerue, RB, 5-11, 195, Tascosa High School, Amarillo, TX recently released his list of top ten schools and Notre Dame made the cut. Along with Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Minnesota, Arkansas, TCU, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Baylor and Ole Miss are also on the list. After offering him last month, the Irish have been recruiting him steadily and have gotten his attention.
“The history behind it, the place, the school, everything about Notre Dame is all positive,” he explained. “It’s all good.”
Notre Dame Running Backs Coach Autry Denson has been responsible for Doerue’s recruitment and he has remained consistently in contact with the three-star prospect.
“I’ve been talking to Coach Denson a lot,” he shared. “We text every day and call about once a week.”
He and Denson have been trying to work out a visit since the Irish offered.
“If I don’t go up unofficially this summer, I’m going to go up for sure for an official in the fall,” he said.
So far, Doerue has taken an official visit to Minnesota but is unsure about any others at this point. He would like to make a decision before the beginning of his senior season.
Geirean Hatchett, OL, 6-5, 265, Ferndale High School, Ferndale, WA has much further to go than Doerue before he has to choose his college destination, but the Class of 2020 lineman will have plenty of options when that time comes. He has received a plethora of offers from schools including powerhouses such as USC, Washington, Oregon, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama and Notre Dame. The recruiting attention that he has already experienced is going to do nothing but intensify and the Irish are intent on staying in the sweepstakes for his signature. Notre Dame Defensive Backs Coach Todd Lyght is Hatchett’s recruiter and he’s been very active.
“He’s come to the school twice and he’s actually the one who gave me the scholarship offer,” Hatchett said. “They’re always talking about me when they meet as a staff and they really want me to come visit campus. It seems like they really want me to play for them someday.”
Hatchett shares the Notre Dame coaches desire for him to see the campus.
“I’d definitely love to get out there as soon as possible,” he said. “I’ve been talking with my parents about trying to make a trip out there.”
While the four-star recruit wants to see the campus, he also wants to experience other aspects of the Notre Dame experience.
“Obviously, they’re amazing academically,” he said. “I’d just like to check that out there. I’d also love to get out there for a game to see what a game atmosphere is like.”
Hatchett knows that recruiting is going to keep him very busy since it already has.
“This whole spring and winter, I was all over the place,” he shared. “Obviously I went to Washington a couple times because they’re close to me. I also got down to L.A., visited USC and UCLA. I went down to the San Francisco area and visited Cal and Stanford down there. In April, I got down to Texas and Oklahoma; I visited Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.”
Hatchett just recently visited USC again, citing his relationship with their offensive line coach and the fact that the university is on the West Coast as pluses. While important, Hatchett insists that location won’t be the determining factor.
“Definitely, the people,” he says of what will ultimately matter most. “Obviously, all the flashy lights and the locker rooms are impressive and somewhat important, but definitely the people I’m going to be spending four to five years with. That’s definitely the biggest part and a place I could maybe even come back and call my second home when it’s all said and done with football.”
These two summaries represent just a sample of the Notre Dame football information available each week on Irish Sports Daily.