I have nothing, I was trying to make a joke and it seems like it fell flat so I have less than nothing.
But it’s always the same with Nd recruiting, it’s always great and we all have a lot of hope. Then everything falls apart and the dream class is no longer possible…then Nd scrambles and find some diamond in the rough and we are all happy with the underrated class that Nd got.
from Wiltfong Spoiler Notre Dame has 247Sports No. 3 recruiting class in the country, and coming out of its first big recruiting weekend of June, Brian Kelly and the Irish figure to add to it down the road. With that, Kelly and his staff welcomed nine top targets to South Bend and the returns are strong. Here is the latest. — “Oh it went great,” said Tim Schrauth, the father of Top247 offensive lineman Billy Schrauth. “He really liked Notre Dame. the education, they got a thing they call four for 40 and how the four years will set you up for the next 40 years. That was pretty important. The coaching staff was great, very detail-oriented, they didn’t miss a thing.” The buzz regarding Schrauth is that he’s down to ND and Wisconsin and the Irish lead on the 247Sports Crystal Ball. The intel says to stick with that pick for now. — Speaking of the 247Sports Crystal Ball, Notre Dame is the heavy favorite for Top247 linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka and all indications say that the momentum remains for the four star out of California. — Schrauth wasn’t the only coveted offensive lineman on campus. Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman Top247 offensive tackle Jake Taylor was in town as he tries to decide between Notre Dame, Alabama and Oklahoma. “It was awesome just the tradition, the history, getting to see and touch a lot of the stuff you've only seen on TV and movies. being a college football historian kind of a guy I really loved all that,” Taylor’s father Mike said. “They said all the right things and each school is a little different in their approach and what they’re saying type of a thing, and if I had to have one big takeaway when they talk about the National Championship and National Championship degree you can get the best of both worlds." Taylor has already taken his official to Alabama and has Oklahoma this coming weekend. — Notre Dame is trying to get the best of both worlds on both sides of the line of scrimmage and they hosted perhaps their top target on the defensive front as well. And it also seems they have everything Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral Top247 defensive lineman Anthony Lucas is looking for in a program. The No. 1 recruit in Arizona, Lucas is in the discussion to finish as a five-star on the 247Sports network (as we finish with 32 a cycle and Lucas ranks No. 27 overall). “It was awesome,” Lucas’s father Jacques said. “It’s a very prestigious institution. The place is really nice. The buildings, the history, you can feel it’s a very special place. (Anthony) was pretty surprised by it. I think he’s really glad he came to see for himself.” Other prominent programs in the mix include Texas A&M, where Lucas visited last weekend and Oregon where he heads to next. Beyond those programs, Miami, Florida State, LSU and Alabama will also get visits before months end. Notre Dame gave the Lucas family a lot to think about. “They’re one of the top schools that he’s going to consider. On the field they’re going to play him at the position he wants. He’s going to play edge. Also they’re going to move him around for mismatches. Whenever there is a good matchup on the field he can win, they’re going to put him in position so he’ll have a chance to get a lot of reps at several positions so they see his skills as not one thing, he can do more than only coming off the edge. That’s very important to him to play the position he likes and learn all that stuff. “Off the field a degree from Notre Dame has a lot of weight. Not everybody can get in there. If you’re going to Notre Dame you have to work hard in the classroom, and our family, working hard in the classroom is something we value a lot and we want our son to get a degree that’s going to matter after football. Football is not going to last forever. We think a degree like that is going to make the difference.” — The Irish are hoping this weekend made a different for a coveted running back target as they battle Ohio State for Dallan Hayden. He visited both campuses during the spring for self-guided tours and now visits them back-to-back weekends with the Buckeyes getting their swing next week. “The visit was awesome with Notre Dame,” Hayden said. “Enjoyed the campus, facility and enjoyed finally talking to the coaches face to face! I like their vision and their plan. Coach (Tommy) Rees and Lance Taylor both are involved with the offense heavy and both have great football minds and do a very good job with development. I had a great time in South Bend. “Notre Dame has always been up there for me but I’ll know when I take my last visit next week where my recruitment stands. But they definitely impressed me. Had a awesome time at Notre Dame.” — The three defensive backs on campus are feeling Notre Dame. The Irish are the 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite for Phoenix (Ariz.) Brophy College Prep’s four-star cornerback Benjamin Morrison. “My highlights was finally seeing the campus, and seeing the coaches and being able to talk to them face to face. I enjoyed talking ball 1-on-1 with Coach Mickens. I took a lot in and am very appreciative of the relationships I have cultivated with the recruits over my visit. I love everything the school has to offer. I have one more school I’m checking out (Washington), and then I’ll be able to weigh the pros and cons, and began to pray and make a decision.” Naples (Fla.) High’s Devin Moore says Notre Dame is in a top spot for him as well. “The highlights of the weekend started with the loving family vibes present everywhere among the coaches, campus, and in the air. It didn’t stop at that but also the campus is so beautiful. Me and my family enjoyed it a lot and we’ll be back for sure.” 25COMMENTS Notre Dame looks to be in a battle with North Carolina for Buford (Ga.) High four-star safety Jake Pope who has future visits to Alabama and Ohio State also locked in. “It was so great!” Pope stated.
Loy on Schrauth Spoiler Notre Dame has one of the top 2022 classes nationally. As of today, it’s the No. 3 class in America per the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings. The Fighting Irish trail only Ohio State and LSU for that top spot. Over the weekend, Notre Dame was finally able to host some official visitors for the first time in a very long while. Irish Illustrated will have a ton of recruiting updates throughout the weekend and over the next week. Here's the latest on Notre Dame and Fond Du Lac (Wisc.) St. Mary's Springs four-star offensive lineman Billy Schrauth. Schrauth, a 6-5, 290-pounder from the class of 2022, made his way to South Bend with his family over the weekend for his Notre Dame official visit. It was a trip that was very much anticipated for everyone on both sides of this recruitment, including Schrauth, his family, as well as the Fighting Irish staff. In checking with a few sources, things went very well. I'm told he hit it off with a bunch of offensive linemen, as he was hosted by a group of players rather than just one in particular. The offensive linemen did a good job of making him feel as if he was already a part of their group and not just a recruit considering Notre Dame. From what I was told, that was something that really grabbed his attention and had him feeling good during his time in South Bend. In addition, his time with the coaches was impactful. Schrauth has always been adamant that it's Notre Dame and he's not going to just pick a school because of coaches, but he has always said good things about offensive line coach Jeff Quinn and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. We all talk about Quinn, but I think his relationship with Rees is something that is understated at time. Rees has a terrific connection with the talented lineman, is a longtime priority target for him in particular, and he's done a great job of building a bond with the family as well. Those relationships are helping Notre Dame a ton here. 112COMMENTS What needs to be emphasized is that while Notre Dame was the longtime leader in this recruitment, a recruitment that really wasn't all that close from everything I've been told, things tightened up a ton last weekend when he was at Wisconsin. It was a big-time effort by the Wisconsin coaches and players. His relationship with offensive line coach, associate head coach and run game coordinator Joe Rudolph is second to none. That is definitely a plus for the Badgers. He had a great time on campus, as reported by Badger247 insider Evan Flood, and this recruiting battle truly became a two-team race between Wisconsin and Notre Dame. That said, as of today, I still think Notre Dame lands Schrauth. I don't expect him to visit Ohio State next weekend. I believe he'll choose between the Irish and Badgers. There are some inside the Gug that are quite nervous. The thought of losing a day one, top of the board target, someone they felt great about throughout, at the last second, well, that would be quite the blow for them. In the end, I believe his relationship with the commits in this class, the players currently playing for Notre Dame, the lifelong interest in playing for the Irish, and his connection to the staff ends up with Notre Dame securing his commitment. However, my confidence on this is a "6" on the 247Sports Crystal Ball Confidence Meter, as I give the Irish a slight edge.
I saw where Loy wrote an article filled with sunshine and rainbows and totally neglected to mention that he'll be back at Ohio State on Wednesday for his third visit this month. He could end up at Notre Dame, but he's pretty different from Zo.
got it, agreed that Loy is generally overly optimistic...that's why I like to see what the other ND website writers say
What I’ve noticed looking around the country is that there has been very few commitments anywhere- ND fans expecting like 4 verbals from their first weekend shouldn’t hold their breath these kids deserve to take all their visits and decide when they want- hell it seems that ND is actively encouraging kids to make other visits By the end of July there should be some clarity around the country
I think he’s taken two visits to ND now this month? I’m sure one was to move his brother back in Either way obviously this is different to Zo- OSU is going to actually recruit him gonna be awful watching all those 5 star WR’s torch ND’s all 3 star secondary the next two years while Zo and Xavier are on the OSU sidelines Sidenote sad that no one else in the B1G is putting any pressure on OSU for Midwest recruits
Spoiler: A IRISH MAKE MOVE WITH 2022 RB DALLAN HAYDEN Notre Dame needed to make a move and the Irish did just that over the weekend as 2022 running back Dallan Hayden left South Bend with a new perspective on the program. Lance Taylor led the charge as he was able to show Hayden what he could do for him when it comes to development. Hayden was also impressed with the time he spent with Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree as both players were able to show him why they chose Notre Dame, but also how he’d fit into the culture in South Bend. Ohio State will get the final shot at Hayden as he’ll take his last official visit to Columbus next weekend, but there is a noticeable growth in confidence among the Irish staff. IRISH APPEAR TO HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK WITH 2022 S JAKE POPE Putting Georgia safety target Jake Pope with Irish All-American safety Kyle Hamilton, who is also from Georgia, was probably a no-brainer, but it still made a strong impact on Pope. Pope took an official visit to North Carolina last weekend before this weekend’s trip to South Bend. He heads to Ohio State for an official next weekend and then Alabama after that with a announcement “most likely” coming in the next couple weeks. In talking with multiple sources, it certainly seems like Notre Dame couldn’t have done much better than it did. The relatively quick timeline is probably a good thing from the Irish’s point of view. We really like the Irish’s positon here. IRISH IMPRESS 2022 CB DEVIN MOORE & FAMILY With parents and an older brother who played college sports, 2022 Florida cornerback Devin Moore has an educated support circle. They’re doing their best to help Moore decipher substance from giltz and glamour. The Irish coaching staff did a great job doing just that, answering all of the questions the family had prepared two times over. As we learned in talking with sources leading up to the visit, Moore is an extremely mature young man and we’re told much of what the Irish had to say was hitting home. A major challenge for the Irish now will be trying to find ways to sustain any momentum they built this weekend. Not only will Moore be at Stanford on an official next weekend, he’s planning additional officials in the fall, so Notre Dame will need to repeatedly remind him what it can offer. Another battle the Irish will gear up for is getting Moore and his family OK with leaving the state of Florida for a cold-weather state. Seems like the kind of thing that would land in the non-critical factor column, but the family does love the state and the Notre Dame staff isn’t going to leave that part to chance. OTHER 2022 NOTES Notre Dame had a pair of offensive linemen on campus in the form of Wisconsin’s Billy Schrauth and Nevada’s Jake Taylor. The Irish have long led for Schrauth, although an official to Wisconsin last weekend may have tightened things up. Still, coming out of the weekend, there’s a confidence that Notre Dame is the team to beat. The Irish don’t seem quite as confident about Taylor, but the Bishop Gorman star raved about the trip with ISD. We felt the biggest thing Notre Dame could do with 2022 Washington wide reciever Tobias Merriweather was make his mother feel comfortable. Coming out of the visit, we’re told the Irish absolutely did that. Arizona defensive lineman Anthony Lucas informed Irish Sports Daily that he very much enjoyed this weekend’s visit. He’s set on taking all of his official visits before making a final decision, which is likely to include stops at Oregon, Alabama and Miami, but the Irish remain in a very strong position here. Look for Arizona cornerback Benjamin Morrison to take an official visit to Washington in a couple weeks and then make a decision. We’d rather be Notre Dame than anybody else, that’s for sure. No change in our thoughts that Notre Dame is the clear leader for 2022 California linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka. In fact, we feel even stronger about the Irish’s chances and wouldn’t be surprised to see him be in the commit column within a week. NOTRE DAME IMPRESSES TOP 2023 DE KEON KEELEY 2023 Berkeley Prep (Fla.) defensive end Keon Keeley has wrapped up his visit and is on the plane back to Tampa. I'll catch up with him when he gets home, but things went extremely well with him over the last three days. "It went amazing and I had a great time," said Keeley. "The coaches did an amazing job showing my mom and I around campus and the people helped us feel very welcomed and were extremely nice. The campus was beautiful." MARCUS FREEMAN MAKES 2023 ATH SONNY STYLES A PRIORITY Notre Dame was swamped with official visitors this weekend, but made more than enough time for 2023 athlete Sonny Styles. The four-star prospect was able to learn a great deal about the program and see how big the Notre Dame brand truly is, which was a huge positive. Marcus Freeman was able to make plenty of time for Styles and showed him how he’d be used, but it was made clear that this was his recruitment. Brian Kelly drove that nail home as well as Styles left knowing the Irish are recruiting him as an individual and not just because his brother is on the team. It will be also interesting to see how schools play Notre Dame’s academics with Styles as the X-factor when it comes to that is the fact his brother is on the team. Schools won’t be able to stretch the truth, which is a position Notre Dame isn’t in very much. 2023 OL ALEX BIRCHMEIER SEES “SPECIAL PLACE” AT NOTRE DAME 2023 Virginia OL Alex Birchmeier wrapped up his unofficial visit to Notre Dame on Saturday evening. A source on Birchmeier's side of things simply said, "Notre Dame is a special place." Even with so many 2022 official visitors in town, we were told the amount of attention the Irish showed Birchmeier was “humbling and overwhelming.” Birchmeier left with all of his questions answered from an athletic, academic and student life standpoint. A source on the other side of things told ISD that Notre Dame's staff was very impressed with Birchmeier, especially from a physical standpoint. He’s already visited Virginia Tech and Penn State this month and heads to Ohio State next. As we mentioned earlier this weekend, it wouldn't be a shock to see Birchmeier make his decision - whatever it may end up being - relatively soon. And we're told the Irish "would love" for that decision to be for them. 2023 TE COOPER FLANAGAN REMAINS ONE TO WATCH Cooper Flanagan wrapped up an unofficial visit to Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon. Coming out of the trip, it’s clear both sides see the potential of the 2023 California tight end being a great fit in South Bend. We’re told Flanagan was thoroughly impressed by the entire tour from an athletic and academic standpoint while also enjoying everything he saw from campus. Education is a major reason why Flanagan was interested in making the visit in the first place and seeing how Notre Dame uses the tight end in its offense reminded him of what he does at famed De La Salle High School. We’re told Irish tight ends coach John McNulty also made a positive impression with his personality as well as his candor. Notre Dame has already hosted a pair of top 2023 tight end targets with offers – Jaxon Howard and Duce Robinson – and has a third coming in next week – Mac Markway. We expect the Irish to assess where they sit at the position in the current class within about a week and if they decide to extend the board, Flanagan could be the next guy up. The California native was originally slated to make three stops while in the Midwest, but only made it to Michigan and South Bend, having to skip a stop at Michigan State because of a time crunch. We said this was a visit worth paying attention to coming and after Notre Dame got a chance to put eyes on Flanagan for itself today, we still believe he’s a prospect worth monitoring. MORE VISITS TO COME Notre Dame will be bringing in a new crop of official visitors early this week. 2022 defensive end commits Darren Agu and Tyson Ford will be in South Bend starting Monday along with 2022 linebacker target Jaylen Sneed, another prospect the Irish are in tremendous shape for. Also coming in on Monday are 2023 Florida running back Sedrick Irvin Jr. He’ll be joined by his father, the former Michigan State running back by the same name. They’re both excited for the trip. 2023 Missouri offensive lineman Cayden Green was offered by Notre Dame a few weeks ago and will also be on campus Monday. Green owns an impressive early offer sheet. After visiting Missouri at the start of the month and is slated to check out Oklahoma next weekend.
that ISD update is a lot more than what 247 has put out...I'm pretty surprised that Loy is lagging behind the other major sites
Anyone have a quote of a recruit not sounding positive after a visit? What kid is going to burn that bridge…
No quotes but I don't think James Robinson had a good visit back in 2017. https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...rrested-while-on-official-visit-to-ohio-state
If you find the Nd usc weekend from like 2011 it was brutal. Some guys didn’t even know who their host was. I just remembered I think another one said it was really boring.
Loy update Spoiler Notre Dame has one of the top 2022 classes nationally. As of today, it’s the No. 3 class in America per the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings. The Fighting Irish trail only Ohio State and LSU for that top spot. Over the weekend, Notre Dame was finally able to host some official visitors for the first time in a very long while. Irish Illustrated will have a ton of recruiting updates throughout the weekend and over the next week. Here’s the latest I’m hearing following a big weekend in South Bend. SLIDE1 of 12 I love where Notre Dame stands with Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany four-star linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka. The 6-2, 230-pounder raved bout the coaching staff, especially defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. He loves Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, but the key here is Freeman. He’s the difference-maker in my opinion. When the two were in a meeting together, Freeman made it clear to “Junior” that there are similarities between him and Notre Dame great Manti Te’o. He wants Tuihalamaka to come to Notre Dame and have that type of impact and the talented linebacker couldn’t have been more fired up after hearing that. I’m increasing my number on the 247Sports Crystal Ball Confidence Meter from a “7” to an “8” and expect him to be Irish sooner rather than later, potentially by week’s end. We’ve kicked around the June 19 date for a while and that could be the moment he makes his announcement. We’ll see how things play out for the No. 108 overall player in the country. SLIDE2 of 12 Although he was not on an official visit because he’s a class of 2023 recruit, I am confident that Notre Dame has separated itself as the leader for Pickerington (Ohio) Central five-star safety / linebacker Sonny Styles. In fact, I’m putting in a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction for him to end up with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame did an outstanding job with him this weekend. In addition, I’m told Lorenzo Styles Jr. couldn’t be happier in South Bend and that is a plus for Styles. It also doesn’t hurt that the 6-5, 220-pounder will be at nearly every game this season, so his connection with the staff and players will continue to grow. That will help come decision time. Come decision time, this one is simple in my eyes, if Marcus Freeman is at Notre Dame, I don’t see the Irish missing on Styles. SLIDE3 of 12 From what I’ve gathered, Notre Dame checked off all of the boxes for Phoenix (Ariz.) Brophy College Prep four-star cornerback Benjamin Morrison. It seems clear that the 6-0, 175-pounder headed into this official wanting to see both Notre Dame and Washington and then comparing and contrasting both visits. He’ll be at Washington on June 25. The staff did a really good job of selling itself. Led by cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens and a few other defensive backs, Morrison left South Bend with any and all questions answered. Notre Dame has done all it can to land him. Now it’s up to Morrison to head to Seattle, take that official visit, and then likely pick the school he wants to attend. Simple as that. We’re confident Notre Dame led heading into the trip and that lead strengthened this weekend. SLIDE4 of 12 Camas (Wash.) Union four-star receiver Tobias Merriweather returned to campus this weekend, which was his second trip to Notre Dame since his recruitment first started. The people I spoke with couldn’t have said better things about Merriweather and his family. “Perfect kid, perfect family” was shared when asked about the 6-4, 185-pounder and Top100 prospect. Merriweather and his family came prepared with plenty of questions and Notre Dame was able to put itself in a great spot come Sunday’s final meeting. Receivers coach Del Alexander and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees continue to push all of the right buttons. Like with Morrision and Washington, Merriweather wants to see Stanford to be able to compare and contrast it to Notre Dame. Those look to be the two heavy-hitters in this one. The Irish feel they are the clear favorite as of today, but we’ll see how things go in Palo Alto. For whatever it’s worth, the family left town after grabbing a bunch of gear at the book store. Maybe that matters, maybe it doesn’t. I’m very close to putting in a prediction for Notre Dame. SLIDE5 of 12 Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral four-star defensive lineman Anthony Lucas was arguably the top priority for the Notre Dame defensive staff this weekend. The 6-5, 280-pounder is an elite talent and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman and defensive line coach Mike Elston made sure to treat him as such all weekend long. We’re told the Lucas family has great respect and appreciation for everything that Notre Dame is about and everything that makes it special and unique. “He gets what we’re about,” said one source. One thing I also heard was that Lucas made sure to get a fresh haircut while in town and that was delivered by none other than defensive coordinator / barber Marcus Freeman. The guy is versatile, to say the least. Lucas has already been to Texas A&M and will head to Oregon, Miami and Alabama next. We’re unsure if he’ll make a decision right after that or take some unofficial visits in the fall before making a commitment. Notre Dame continues to put itself in a great spot, but they will have to separate themselves from the pack to seal the deal with the elite talent. SLIDE6 of 12 Another underclassman on campus this weekend was Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep four-star defensive end Keon Keeley. The class of 2023 standout saw his name skyrocket up the Notre Dame recruiting board upon arrival. I’m told the staff was beyond excited about the upside of the 6-6, 230-pounder. Defensive line coach Mike Elston nailed it on all aspects of this one and the Irish are the clear frontrunner to land him. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if he’s among the first class of 2023 commits for Notre Dame. Florida, Florida State and others will do all they can to get him to slow down, but I really like the Irish to get this one done. SLIDE7 of 12 I’m confident Notre Dame is the team to beat for Buford (Ga.) high school safety Jake Pope, a four-star recruit per 247Sports and a three-star prospect per the composite rankings. When a young man says that his favorite position coach is Notre Dame safeties coach Chris O’Leary, it’s never a bad thing. That said, Pope is picking a school for much more than a position coach. When looking at what he wants in a school and what Notre Dame offers, it’s going to be hard for the 6-1, 190-pounder to find a better fit. Pope said that not only was he impressed this weekend, but his family couldn’t have said enough good things about everything connected to the Fighting Irish. The staff will have to keep on him and hold off Ohio State and Alabama, the two programs he’s set to visit next, as well as North Carolina, the team he first visited earlier this mont, but I believe the Irish staff can do exactly that. SLIDE8 of 12 As we know, it’ll be Notre Dame, Oklahoma or Alabama for Las Vegas Bishop Gorman four-star lineman Jake Taylor. The 6-6, 290-pounder finally made his way to campus this weekend and from all accounts, he loved the visit. He had heard a ton about the Irish heading into the trip from former Notre Dame safety Nicco Fertitta and even more from top Irish cornerback target Justyn Rhett, a four-star talent from Bishop Gorman who was just on campus earlier this month and a player that, in my opinion, Notre Dame leads for, but this was his chance to see it for himself. He had nothing but great things to say about offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, head coach Brian Kelly, as well as the players he interacted with. All that said, I felt the Irish were second or third heading into the visit and I haven’t heard enough to make me change that feeling coming out of the trip. I still think Oklahoma is going to be too tough to beat here. He heads to Norman next week and that could be all she wrote. We’ll see how things play out though. SLIDE9 of 12 Notre Dame badly wants to land a commitment from Fond Du Lac (Wisc.) St. Mary’s Springs four-star offensive lineman Billy Schrauth. The Irish had him at the top of the board heading into the weekend and after spending a few days with him, he somehow impressed the Irish coaching staff even more. I’m honestly not sure there is a more coveted lineman this cycle for offensive line coach Jeff Quinn and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees than Schrauth. Notre Dame has been the heavy, heavy favorite for a very long time, but he just never pulled the trigger with a public commitment because he wanted to get back on campus. He also wanted to see Wisconsin before making a final decision. While I haven’t heard anything definitively either way, I’m still rollin’ with Notre Dame as of Monday morning following his trip. There has just been too much pointing toward the Fighting Irish for months. If he picks Wisconsin, huge kudos to the Badgers coaching staff for an incredible close last weekend because that would mean that they not only became the leader heading into a trip to South Bend, but they also held off that final visit and maintained the lead. Either way, for recruiting fans, it’s going to be a fun final stretch to watch. SLIDE10 of 12 If there was a recruit that Notre Dame made the biggest move with, it’s clearly Memphis (Tenn.) Christian Brothers four-star running back Dallan Hayden. The pulse heading into the visit was that Ohio State had a strong lead and Notre Dame was hoping to pull even during his Notre Dame official visit. However, unless multiple sources are misreading this one, there is a strong belief that the Irish have become the outright leader for the 5-11, 195-pounder, who rushed for over 2,000 yards last season. Running backs coach Lance Taylor, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, head coach Brian Kelly and defensive line coach / recruiting coordinator Mike Elston crushed this one from a football, academic and branding perspective. Hayden couldn’t say enough good things about the program and how much it can do for him in the coming years and for the rest of his life. Ohio State does really well on these fronts as well, especially from a branding perspective, but they surely have their work cut out for them if they plan on matching what Notre Dame did this weekend. I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I could genuinely see the Irish winning this battle against Ohio State for the top running back on the Buckeyes board. SLIDE11 of 12 Another top underclassman on campus this past weekend was Ashburn (Va.) Broad Run five-star offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier, the No. 1 interior lineman in the 2023 class per 247Sports, but one that could potentially play tackle as well. Heading into the trip, sources felt strongly that Notre Dame and Penn State were the two at the top, but the Lions held a slight edge. Coming out of the visit, sources believe the Irish have at least pulled even and might even be the team to beat. “He’s going to end up at Notre Dame,” said one source. That said, Penn State, led by offensive line coach Phil Trautwein, won’t just lay down in this one. Those two have really hit it off throughout the process from what we’re told. But Notre Dame has a lot going for them when it comes to offensive line success and I’m told that really hit home with Birchmeier and his family. The campus feel, academics and tradition are other factors that were positives for Birchmeier per a source. This could be one of my next 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions for Notre Dame, but I'm not there just yet. SLIDE12 of 12 Naples (Fla.) high school three-star cornerback Devin Moore finally hit South Bend this weekend for his official visit. Notre Dame was more than ready to layout the red carpet this weekend and did exactly that. Cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens deserves the most credit for a great weekend and will be a huge reason if the Irish can secure Moore’s commitment. Those two were attached at the hip this weekend. Everything the Irish have to offer was shared with Moore and his family and per a source, “everyone was sold” on Notre Dame coming out of the visit. I’m told head coach Brian Kelly made a huge impression on the family and “is their favorite head coach” according to Moore. In addition, from a Notre Dame player perspective, safety Houston Griffith did a great job with Moore and shared exactly why he should pick the Fighting Irish. Cornerbacks Cam Hart and Philip Riley did a nice job with Moore as well. The group made their way to Kelly’s lake house and spent even more time together, which helped as well. I really like my 247Sports Crystal Ball for Notre Dame as of this point. I think the Irish are going to be tough to beat. I’m going to move it from a “6” to a “7” based on my latest conversation with Moore. While the staff would have been thrilled to land a silent or public commitment from the 6-2, 175-pounder during the trip, Moore wants to remain patient with the process and do his due-diligence regarding visits. He has always wanted to take at least four trips before a decision. He took unofficial trips to Alabama and Florida. His Stanford official visit is coming this weekend as well. A commitment after that wouldn’t come as much of a surprise. We’ll see if the Irish can get this one done.
if ND lands Sonny I'm going to bump this post if they don't I'm going to travel to Cincinnati and fist fight you so please PM your address now just to be safe
It’s the loy special 1. recruit heavily leaning elsewhere visits Nd 2. Unless our sources are wrong we have the lead / it’s a toss up 3. Recruit commits to said leader “at the end of the day the Irish came on too late but did lead there for a minute after the visit as first reported by me”
Knowing less than nothing about any of this, it almost calls the whole post into question if he was that positive about Hayden. I doubt the guy with OSU as his #1 favorite, who leaned heavy to OSU before the visit, and OSU gets the last visit is coming here. If we whiff on the WI and NV tackles, that would be pretty bad.
wow, Wiltfong, Loy, and Huffman (he's the most important one) just put in CB picks for Merriweather to ND...that's a big big deal
agreed, he doesn't usually throw around a 7 like that unless he's confident in the pick. That last line by Loy in the Merriweather part about him and his family loading up on ND gear was a really really good sign
sorry, one last note on Tobias - Huffman's post about why he picked ND Spoiler Went ahead and put in my Crystal Ball for Tobias Merriweather to Notre Dame. I've said for months, despite what some people out West have said about Oregon, this is a Notre Dame-Stanford battle. And I think the official visit sealed the deal. He'll still visit Stanford at the end of the month and I know he's working to get admitted into Stanford, but I still have felt like the Irish were out in front prior to the visit. Now, the Stanford admission for a West Coast kid is still always a big deal, but it's not the lock it used to be, so I'm leaning Irish.
it's to drive clicks to the site - Rivals and ISD are both free to see as well and it drives A LOT of clicks
Fair enough, and no complaints here. Happy to trade my clicks for the only recruiting information I might be willing to pay for.
Isn't that the guy that committed out of nowhere? Would assume he's gone if he's still camping at SEC schools and has a Bama offer now
If you’re trying to get me to feel bad for trusting Alabama’s coaches more than Notre Dame’s you will not be successful.
I mean, just from his film you can see potential. He has long speed but hasn’t refined any of his technical WR skills yet. He gets the right coaching and he can be extremely good. I absolutely want him in this class.
Visited Ole Miss last week. both of these visits were with his high school teammates and not random, by himself ones. He’s already said he’s “ND all the way,” according to Loy.