Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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36 FEBRUARY 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING DANIEL JACKSON WIDE RECEIVER Shawnee Mission (Kan.) Bishop Miege Rivals Rankings: Three-star re- cruit, the No. 2 player in Kansas and No. 68 wideout in the class of 2020. The Skinny: Jackson has a strong connection to Notre Dame — his first cousin is Irish running back Jafar Armstrong. An ACL tear sidelined him halfway through his junior sea- son, and the Kansas talent said the Junior Day visit to Notre Dame was all about letting the coaches know that he's getting back to 100 percent. Jackson said the Irish coaching staff is planning on coming to see him run track this spring to get an evaluation on how he's recovering. Notre Dame is in the No. 1 spot for Jackson, but his recruitment isn't over. Texas A&M is in the second spot, but if Notre Dame decides to push hard for Jackson's commit- ment, it's hard to see him heading elsewhere. JALEN LOGAN-REDDING DEFENSIVE END Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge Rivals Rankings: Three-star talent. The Skinny: Logan-Redding vis- ited Notre Dame three times during 2018. He picked up his offer from the Irish during a lineman camp in the summer, returned for the Florida State game and again for the Junior Day. During the Junior Day visit, Logan-Redding said his main focus was continuing to build up his re- lationship with Kelly and defensive line coach Mike Elston. Coming out of the visit, he gave Notre Dame a glowing review. "There is no other school like Notre Dame," Logan-Redding said. "It is one of a kind." Heading into the 2020 recruiting cycle, Missouri and Notre Dame seem to be battling for the top spot on Logan-Redding's list. He will likely return to South Bend for an official visit. JAHEIM THOMAS OUTSIDE LINEBACKER Cincinnati Princeton Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 10 outside linebacker and No. 152 overall player nationally. The Skinny: Thomas had "pretty high" interest in Notre Dame before making it back up to South Bend for the Junior Day and left even more impressed with the program after checking it out for the first time since adding an offer in early December. The 6-5, 218-pounder enjoyed learn- ing more about how he would be used within Clark Lea's defense. Thomas is a potential drop end candidate, and feels he could fit that role if he were to wind up at Notre Dame. Michigan, Vanderbilt, Wis- consin, Purdue and others have also offered the Rivals250 prospect. CHRIS TYREE RUNNING BACK Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 1 all-purpose back and No. 59 overall recruit in the country. The Skinny: The Junior Day was Tyree's first trip to South Bend, and Notre Dame made a big impression on him and the family he brought along. Tyree said he was thrilled to learn more about the opportunities Notre Dame offers its players on and off the field, and enjoyed spending time with running backs coach Autry Denson. Getting to see Denson and Kelly in action during practice was a great experience, he said. He was a big fan of Denson's coaching approach with his players. Before leaving, Tyree discussed the possibility of an official visit with Kelly and one is already in the works for the spring. ✦ Some Highly Touted Sophomores Also Took Part In Junior Day Notre Dame also welcomed some top prospects in the class of 2021 Dec. 15. Here's a quick early rundown of each one. • Pickerington (Ohio) Central wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr. made his third visit to Notre Dame for the Junior Day. He landed his offer from the Irish following a camp performance over the summer and then returned for the Michigan game Sept. 1. Styles is an Ohio State legacy, but Notre Dame has certainly made an impression on him. Following this latest visit, Styles said Notre Dame has everything he is looking for both academically and athleti- cally. • Avon (Ind.) High offensive tackle Blake Fisher added an offer from Notre Dame while he was in South Bend watching the Irish take down Florida State 42-13. The talented sophomore has not said much publicly about the specifics of his interest in the program, but a quick return visit to South Bend signals a lot. Given his status as a sophomore, Fisher is likely a long ways away from making a decision, but Notre Dame is in prime position to make early headway with this return visit and proximity to Fisher's home. • La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy quarterback J.J. McCarthy could end up being a top target for Notre Dame in the 2021 class, and the talented sophomore told Blue & Gold Illustrated he had an "awesome" Junior Day experience. McCarthy spent more than an hour with quarterbacks coach Tom Rees, building their relationship even further. An offer has not come his way, but McCarthy noted a decision about one would be made sometime in January once the staff completes the season. If McCarthy does add an Irish tender to his list, Notre Dame would very likely become the team to beat — the program "checks all the boxes" for him. — Corey Bodden and David McKinney Follow @BGI_CoreyBodden and @BGI_DMcKinney on Twitter for daily recruiting updates available on BlueandGold.com! Rivals' No. 10 outside linebacker and No. 152 overall player in the nation, Cincinnati Princeton four-star Jaheim Thomas was in attendance for the Irish's Dec. 15 Junior Day. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM