Recruiting Week In Review
Written by Joe Bradshaw
Over the last few seasons Notre Dame has had great success with their offensive line, sending several to the NFL including two first round picks last year. I’m not sure how long their offensive line success has to continue before they become considered Offensive Line U or even that it matters what they’re considered. What matter is that the O line continues to perform at the high level that fans have come to expect. In order for that to happen, the Irish will need to continue to strongly recruit that position.
The defensive backfield has not achieved the same level of success or reputation as the offensive line but this year’s group could be the one that begins to change that. And, like the offensive line, the Irish will need to recruit the position well for its success to continue.
Irish Sports Daily recently reported on two 2020 recruits that could be important to each position group’s continued growth and success. What have you been missing by not being a member of Irish Sports Daily?
Andrew Raym, OL, 6-4, 284, Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, OK visited Notre Dame as a sophomore and that only whetted his appetite to learn more about the Irish. Ironically, it wasn’t long after that unofficial visit that he made his verbal commitment to Oklahoma, one from which he has since backed off. He plans to be a busy traveler over the next few weeks, having visited Michigan for its game with Penn State, Notre Dame for their game with Florida State and Georgia. His ultimate goal is to simplify the recruiting process.
“Even though he’s a 2020 guy, he’s just a junior, I think he would like to narrow it down and find the two or three schools that he really wants to concentrate on,” said Broken Arrow head coach, David Alexander. “He’s an offensive lineman, he’s not a big Twitter guy. He’s not interested in going to 20 schools and doing all of that stuff. I think he would really like to find his fit here and at least narrow it down to a couple.”
Raym’s interest in Notre Dame is legitimate and his coach said the reason is simple.
“The obvious answer is, it’s Notre Dame,” Alexander explained. “The second answer, they’ve done a great job communicating with him every day, making him feel welcome. Academics are very important to Andrew. He’s taking AP classes and loves the fact that academics are important at Notre Dame. He’s not just going to go to a football factory.”
Alexander continued.
“He wants to go someplace where he can get a degree. He knows what a Notre Dame degree would do for him whenever football is done. He knows a piece of paper that says Bachelor Degree from the University of Notre Dame carries a lot of weight.”
Like Raym, Lathan Ransom, DB, 6-1, 185, Salpointe Catholic High School, Tucson, AZ is also very interested in Notre Dame. That interest accelerated after the Irish recently offered him a scholarship.
“I think he’s very, very high on Notre Dame,” said Salpointe head coach Dennis Bene. “Obviously attending a Catholic high school, the offer from Notre Dame is extra special. He’s genuinely honored by the offer and I know his family feels the same way. I’m sure when he narrows it down to a serious top five, no question Notre Dame will be in it.”
At 6-1, Ransom is big for a defensive back. He’s also athletic and that combination of size and athleticism has garnered him a number of scholarship offers from some top college football programs. In addition to Notre Dame, he has also been offered by USC, Stanford, Cal, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Michigan, Nebraska, Florida, Georgia and many others.
“Just his versatility,” Bene said of what makes his star special. “He could play safety and corner. On the other side of the ball, he’s been really productive for us on offense. But I think in this era of spread offenses, defensively he’s a guy who could play zone, play man. He’s become a really hot prospect.
Bene continued.
“He’s long, he’s tall. He’s got a big range. He’s very quick. He’s got long speed, but he’s also very quick. He’s got great hips and then he’s physical. I think from a defensive perspective, he’s got a lot of athletic intangibles that the D-I guys are looking for.”
According to Bene, Ransom stands out off the field also.
“He’s very respectful, very polite,” he shared. “He comes from a really good two parent home. He’s very focused, works hard in the classroom, which is evident by the type of offers he has from some of the top academic institutions in the country. He’s one of our hardest practice players. He’s been our MVP so far this year and we couldn’t be happier with his progress.”
According to Bene, Ransom and his family doesn’t just pay lip service to academics.
“His parents have always talked academics, even as an upcoming freshman at our high school, academics was a top priority for them,” he explained. “I think the term student-athlete really defines Lathan. I think picking the right academic institution will definitely be a big consideration in his decision-making.”
Ransom has already taken a number of visits to West Coast schools and expects to travel again soon.
“I know he’s been to three or four schools; USC, Berkeley (Cal), Stanford,” said Bene. “He’s been out to Michigan. I think when we wrap up our season, I think he’ll probably sit down with his family and start to look at visiting some of these schools that are in his top six or seven.”
These two summaries represent just a sample of the Notre Dame football recruiting information available each week on Irish Sports Daily.