Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 NOV. 19, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY DAVID MCKINNEY, COREY BODDEN AND BRYAN DRISKELL W ith 19 commits, there are limited spots left in Notre Dame's 2019 class. Here's a look at the remaining targets, where Notre Dame stands with each and thoughts from Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Bryan Driskell on the impact each would have on the class. ISAIAH FOSKEY Defensive End • Concord (Calif.) De La Salle Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, No. 6 tight end and No. 133 overall player nationally. The Skinny: Foskey has taken two visits to Notre Dame, one in the summer and an official visit for the Stanford game Sept. 29. He has a public top five of Notre Dame, Washington, Ohio State, Cal and Michigan, but it seems to be down to the Irish and Washington. All intel Blue & Gold has gathered recently sug- gests Notre Dame is the team to beat. Foskey plans to announce his decision sometime after the conclusion of his football season. Class Impact: There isn't a more important re- cruit on the board than Foskey. With ends Julian Okwara, Khalid Kareem and Daelin Hayes entering their final season of eligibility in 2019, the Irish defense must restock its end position with impact players in the 2019 class. Notre Dame currently has two four-star ends committed, but only Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic standout NaNa Osafo-Mensah projects as the kind of impact player that currently mans the position. Landing Foskey would give Notre Dame a second edge player with the upside to match what the Irish will lose from the position after the 2019 season. ASA TURNER Linebacker • Carlsbad (Calif.) High Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, No. 37 player in California and No. 21 athlete in the country. The Skinny: Turner was a top target for Notre Dame in the spring, and that didn't change when he committed to Washington in July. The Irish have kept up communication with him and have visited him at school this fall. Turner has been receptive to Notre Dame's pitch, and even attended the game between the Irish and Navy in San Diego Oct. 27. He has already taken an official visit to South Bend, so it remains to be seen if he'll make it back to campus. Class Impact: After landing four talented line- backers in the 2018 class and two more in the 2019 group, the Irish are in good shape from a depth standpoint. The reason the staff has con- tinued to stay involved with Turner is because they view him as a must-get player from a talent standpoint. A high school safety, the 6-4, 190-pounder will need to add size and strength, but his range, cov- erage skills and athleticism are rare — and traits that are essential to success in the Notre Dame defensive system, especially at inside linebacker. JD BERTRAND Inside Linebacker • Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, No. 29 pros- pect in Georgia, and No. 12 inside linebacker and No. 247 overall player nationally. The Skinny: Bertrand has seen two games at Notre Dame this season, the matchup with Pitts- burgh and the game against Florida State. The Rivals250 member is a fan of what Notre Dame has to offer, and if the Irish do end up offering, the former Georgia commit could very well be a part of the class. Defensive coordinator Clark Lea has made a strong impression on Bertrand and his family. Class Impact: Heading into the Florida State visit Nov. 10, we don't know if Bertrand will actually get an offer, but that has to do with scholarship numbers. From a pure talent standpoint he would be a plus addition to the linebacker depth chart. If not for the numbers concerns taking him would be a no-brainer. The 6-1, 210-pound athlete projects as an in- side linebacker in the Irish defense. He is instinc- tive, shows good short-area quickness and has the range to play to the sideline. Bertrand is a natural in coverage and shows good pop when he arrives at the ball carrier. ENOKK VIMAHI Offensive Tackle • Kahuku (Hawai'i) High Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, No. 17 of- fensive tackle and No. 132 overall player in the country. The Skinny: Vimahi took an official visit to Notre Dame for the Michigan game Sept. 1 and despite keeping mostly quiet about his recruitment, he has expressed significant interest in the Irish. The Rivals250 member is the lone remaining offensive line target in the class of 2019 and will have Notre Dame in the mix throughout his pro- cess. Class Impact: Vimahi is in the same situation as Bertrand, although he does have an offer already on the table. Notre Dame signed four linemen in the 2018 class and already has four standouts in the 2019 group, so there isn't a need for another tackle, and at the end of the day the Irish might be too tight on numbers to take Vimahi. The only reason this is a discussion is because of Vimahi's top-end talent and upside. He is an athletic blocker that thrives in pass protection, and with time in the weight room will become a strong run blocker as well. ✦ Notre Dame Is Looking To Finish Off 2019 Class Four-star Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity standout JD Bertrand, the nation's No. 12 inside linebacker according to Rivals, has taken two game-day visits to Notre Dame this season. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM