Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 NOV. 5, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY DAVID MCKINNEY AND COREY BODDEN E ach Friday night this fall, Blue & Gold Illustrated has hit the road to watch Notre Dame commits and tar- gets under the lights. Here is a breakdown of their perfor- mances: ZEKE CORRELL Offensive Lineman • Cincinnati Anderson Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent and the No. 13 offensive guard in the country. Review: In a 25-22 loss to Cincin- nati Walnut Hills Oct. 19, Correll was not challenged often. When he was engaged, he displayed his strength and pulling ability. He did allow one hurry to Rivals100 2019 defensive tackle and Virginia commit Jowon Briggs. Correll will start his Irish career at center, and he plays with the strength and aggressiveness necessary for an interior lineman. KYLE HAMILTON Safety • Atlanta Marist School Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 18 safety and No. 227 overall player in the nation. Review: In Atlanta Marist School's season opener Aug. 24, Hamilton racked up several tackles and an in- terception on defense to go along with more than 100 receiving yards and a touchdown on offense. He was the best player on the field that night against an Atlanta Lovett team that features multiple Division I athletes, including fellow Irish commit K.J. Wallace. JACK KISER Linebacker • Royal Center (Ind.) Pioneer Rivals Rankings: Three-star talent. Review: Kiser accounted for five touchdowns and 244 yards of total of- fense while making 11 tackles in a 66- 19 victory over Lakeville (Ind.) LaVille Aug. 31. He also recorded an intercep- tion that he returned for a score, but it was called back due to a penalty. Kiser moves well and is instinctive. The Pioneer standout will need to add size and strength to his 6-2, 206-pound frame, but he has a build similar to cur- rent starter Drue Tranquill. ANDREW KRISTOFIC Offensive Tackle • Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland Rivals Rankings: Three-star talent and the No. 64 offensive tackle in the nation. Review: Kristofic and Pine-Richland fell 42-0 to then-national No. 1 Bra- denton (Fla.) IMG Academy in its sea- son opener Aug. 24. The senior had an up-and-down performance in his matchup against five-star defensive end and Georgia commit Nolan Smith. He was better in the run game but also had some good reps against Smith in pass protection. Kristofic has an excellent frame (6-6, 260) that he will have to fill out. JACOB LACEY Defensive Tackle • Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent and the No. 18 defensive tackle in the land. Review: Lacey had an impactful performance in South Warren's 38-12 victory over Bowling Green (Ky.) High Oct. 19. He was in on at least six tack- les and helped seal the win when he busted through the line to force a fum- ble on a handoff to stop a third-quarter red-zone drive. He ended the next pos- session with a third-down sack. Lacey showed his ability to make clutch plays, and used his combina- tion of strength and explosiveness to continually attack his opponent. MICHAEL MAYER Tight End • Alexandria (Ky.) Covington Catholic Rivals Rankings: Four-star pros- pect, and the No. 5 tight end and No. 205 overall player in the nation. Review: The 2020 Irish commit had one of the more impressive perfor- mances of the Notre Dame pledges BGI saw this season. Mayer caught four passes for 129 yards and two touch- downs at tight end, while also notch- ing a 60-yard pick-six at linebacker in a 52-36 win over Indianapolis Bishop Chatard Oct. 5. At 6-5 and 215 pounds, Mayer has the height to create mismatches against smaller opponents, but he also has enough speed to stretch the field. There is a reason he was a priority for the Irish early in the 2020 class, and he showed it. K.J. WALLACE Cornerback • Atlanta Lovett Rivals Rankings: Three-star talent and the No. 57 cornerback nationally. Review: Since they were on the field at the same time, Wallace had his per- formance overshadowed by Hamilton, but he was still impressive. Wallace is a terrific athlete who played receiver, safety, cornerback and kick returner, and had several receptions and tackles. Wallace is a tad undersized, but his speed and change of direction more than make up for it. KYREN WILLIAMS Running Back • St. Louis St. John Vianney Rivals Rankings: Three-star talent and the No. 34 athlete in the country. Review: Williams scored 24 touch- downs in St. John Vianney's first 10 contests, including a pair in a 17-14 win over St. Louis De Smet Jesuit Sept. 21. He displayed his versatility by playing running back, slot receiver, quarterback and cornerback, while racking up 196 yards of total offense and the two scores, one of which came on a 42-yard reception. Williams' ability to make defenders miss was evident, and he has contin- ued to shine in that area all season. ✦ Thoughts From The Road: Notre Dame Commits Notre Dame running back commit Kyren Williams scored 24 touchdowns in St. Louis St. John Vianney's first 10 games this season. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM