Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 OCT. 1, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY DAVID MCKINNEY AND COREY BODDEN N otre Dame's national schedule gives the Fighting Irish coaching staff ample opportunity to bring in top prospects for big visit weekends. The season opener against Michigan saw several prospects in the classes of 2019 and 2020 flock to South Bend, and the matchup with Stanford will do the same. Here's a look at the recruits sched- uled to be on campus to watch the Irish take on the Cardinal Sept. 29. ISAIAH FOSKEY OFFICIAL VISIT (2019) Defensive End/Tight End • Concord (Calif.) De La Salle Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 6 tight end and No. 133 overall player nationally. The Skinny: Originally, Notre Dame was recruiting Foskey as a tight end when they offered the Rivals250 pros- pect in May 2017. Over the past several weeks, though, both parties agreed that defensive end should be his posi- tion. Unless circumstances change, Fo- skey would start his career on defense if he were to wind up in South Bend. Notre Dame is in the top five for the four-star athlete, along with California, Michigan, Ohio State and Washington. This will be his second official of the process after checking out Penn State in the spring. The tradition of Notre Dame and the academic aspect of the school intrigue Foskey. He isn't planning to make a decision until he takes all of his official visits, and the remaining three may not occur until after the conclusion of his senior season. GENSON HOOPER OFFICIAL VISIT (2019) Wide Receiver • Houston St. John's Rivals Rankings: Three-star pros- pect and the No. 84 wideout nationally. The Skinny: Hooper keeps the scoop on his recruitment quiet, but it looks like Notre Dame has at least a punch- er's chance at landing the Texas talent. Originally, Hooper planned to visit South Bend for the Oct. 13 matchup with Pitt, but moved the visit up so he could get to Notre Dame sooner. Even with receivers Cam Hart and Kendall Abdur-Rahman already in the class and limited spots remaining with 18 commits, Notre Dame contin- ues to push for Hooper due to his 6-5, 205-pound frame and explosiveness. The Irish coaching staff loves what ESPN's No. 231 national player brings to the table, and will certainly leave a spot open for him in the class should he decide to pick Notre Dame. MAX WILLIAMS OFFICIAL VISIT (2019) Cornerback • Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 11 cornerback and No. 93 overall prospect in the nation. The Skinny: There's little doubt that USC is the favorite to win Williams' commitment when he announces it publicly Oct. 6. The Trojans have long been the assumed leader for him and are the likely landing spot. However, Notre Dame has been involved with him since his freshman year of high school when he first visited campus, and will welcome him back for the Stanford game. Williams suffered an ACL tear dur- ing the first game of his senior season and had surgery in mid-September. Immediately after the injury, he com- municated with all the coaching staffs that have been recruiting him, none of which backed off their pursuit of the four-star defender. The Irish would prefer to add one more cornerback to the class of 2019, and Williams is a top target for the staff. If Notre Dame can make a big impression during the official visit, it could have a chance to pull off a surprise. WALKER PARKS UNOFFICIAL VISIT (2020) Offensive lineman • Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass Rivals Rankings: Three-star recruit and the No. 10 offensive guard in the country. The Skinny: Parks is set to make his third trip to Notre Dame this year after visiting South Bend during both the spring and summer. The junior picked up an offer from the Irish after working with offensive line coach Jeff Quinn during a camp this summer. Notre Dame is very much in the mix with the Kentucky standout. Parks does not have a public list of favorites yet, but the Irish would likely be near the top along with Clemson, Virginia Tech and Kentucky. He plans to check out each school this fall and will be at the Irish and Hokies matchup Oct. 6 in Blacksburg, Va. The offensive line tradition at Notre Dame — especially under head coach Brian Kelly — has the attention of Parks, and he has built a strong early relationship with Quinn. Clemson ap- pears to be the biggest threat as the fall rolls on. ✦ Stanford Matchup Brings Important Visitors To South Bend Notre Dame is in the top five for four-star defen- sive end/tight end Isaiah Foskey of Concord (Calif.) De La Salle heading into his official visit for the Stanford game Sept. 29. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM COMMITS EXPECTED TO ATTEND • Four-star defensive end Howard Cross of Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph's • Four-star safety Litchfield Ajavon of Alex- andria (Va.) Episcopal • Four-star defensive tackle Jacob Lacey of Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren • Four-star safety Kyle Hamilton of Atlanta Marist • Three-star offensive tackle Andrew Kristofic of Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland