Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 OCT. 15, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY DAVID MCKINNEY W hile Notre Dame was busy beat- ing Stanford 38-17 Sept. 29, a long list of recruits was sitting in the stands to witness it. The Fighting Irish took full advan- tage of the top-10 matchup with the Cardinal, inviting more than 40 re- cruits to campus to take in the game and the atmosphere surrounding it. There were two official visitors, several 2019 commits, and a talented group of prospects from the classes of 2020 and 2021. Here is a breakdown of some of the top visitors on campus and their reactions to their visits. OFFICIAL VISITORS ISAIAH FOSKEY (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: Foskey came into the visit with Notre Dame in his top five along with Washington, Michigan, Ohio State and Cal. Schools are dif- fering on what position they'll have Foskey play, but Notre Dame prefers him at defensive end. Following his visit, Foskey told Blue & Gold Illustrated the trip was unlike any he has been on so far, and that Notre Dame is a "special place." Going forward, the four-star plans on taking all of his remaining official visits and does not currently have a timeline for a commitment. GENSON HOOPER (2019) WIDE RECEIVER • HOUSTON ST. JOHN'S Rivals Rankings: Three-star talent and the No. 84 wideout nationally. The Skinny: Hooper keeps the scoop on his recruitment quiet, so not a lot is known publicly about his in- tentions. However, we do know that Notre Dame, Northwestern, Duke and Princeton have separated them- selves in the race for his services. With 18 commitments (including two wide receivers) already in the class and limited spots remaining, Notre Dame is still working to fig- ure out if there will be room for him should he decide to come to South Bend. Hooper plans to announce his commitment sometime between Oct. 15-31. UNOFFICIAL VISITORS AIDAN KEANAAINA (2020) DEFENSIVE TACKLE • BRIGHTON (COLO.) MULLEN Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent and the No. 16 defensive tackle in the country. The Skinny: Following a sum- mer visit to South Bend, Keanaaina knew he wanted to return for a game experience. Following the trip, the four-star told Blue & Gold Illustrated that the visit was "fantastic" and ex- ceeded the high expectations he had coming into the weekend. The Colorado native was im- pressed with the strong play of Notre Dame's defensive line, especially senior defensive tackle Jerry Tillery (four sacks). Keanaaina is planning to con- tinue making the rounds across the country and is eyeing trips to USC, UCLA, Wisconsin, Colorado and Vir- ginia. He hopes to make a decision in the spring or early summer before his senior season. REGGIE LOVE (2020) RUNNING BACK • ST. LOUIS TRINITY CATHOLIC Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 18 running back and No. 176 overall player in the nation. The Skinny: Love's first trip to Notre Dame could not have gone better. He was only able to stay in town through the first quarter of the win over Stanford, but that was more than enough to impress him. The four-star talent said he was blown away by the play of senior running back Dexter Williams, espe- cially his 45-yard touchdown on his first carry of the season. Prior to the game, Love met with running backs coach Autry Denson, who reportedly made it clear that the Missouri talent is a top priority for Notre Dame in the class of 2020. Overall, it was a great visit for Love, and he said the trip confirmed all the great things he had heard about Notre Dame's football pro- gram and the university itself. WALKER PARKS (2020) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN • LEXINGTON (KY.) FREDERICK DOUGLASS Rivals Rankings: Three-star talent and the No. 10 guard in the country. The Skinny: Parks is one of Notre Dame's top targets in the trenches in the 2020 class, and the game against Stanford was his first time seeing the Irish in action. The 6-5, 250-pounder said the week- end in South Bend was excellent, add- ing that he loved getting to watch the Irish offensive line in person. During the visit, Parks met head coach Brian Kelly for the first time and sat down with offensive line coach Jeff Quinn to break down film. Parks said his conversations with Kelly were friendly, and that the head coach told him there's no other place that can offer him what Notre Dame can. Quinn echoed that message. Parks is planning to visit Clem- son in October and mentioned he wants to decide before his senior season, whether that is this year or next spring. Notre Dame continues to make a strong impression on the talented junior and will be among the top contenders for his signature when the time comes. ✦ Stanford Win Impresses Top Recruits Rivals rates Brighton (Colo.) Mullen product Aidan Keanaaina as a four-star prospect and the No. 16 defensive tackle in the junior class. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM