Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2019 73 FOOTBALL RECRUITING Notre Dame has hit the ground running at running back, and the early offerees are impressive. Atop the wish list is Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale standout Chris Tyree, who visited Notre Dame unofficially in December. Tyree is a consensus top-100 player and a priority recruit for the staff, but landing him will be extremely difficult. Rivals rates Tyree as the No. 1 all-purpose back and the No. 59 overall player in the nation. St. Louis Trinity Catholic four-star back Reggie Love (No. 16 running back and No. 180 overall prospect nationally per Rivals) is another top Irish target, as are Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe star Bijan Robinson (No. 7 running back and No. 54 overall) and Dublin (Ohio) Coffman standout Michael Drennen II (No. 4 all-pur- pose back and No. 149 overall). Only Drennen had visited Notre Dame as of 2019 National Signing Day. While one back is all that is needed, if Notre Dame is able to land two it would likely make room for both standouts. WIDE RECEIVER Players On The 2020 Roster: 9 Projected Take: 2-4 The 2020 receiver depth chart cur- rently has nine players with eligibility remaining, but there are a couple of players with positional flexibility, and the odds are strong that at least one wideout will be off the roster by the time the 2020 season starts. The current roster has the preferred mix of skill sets, but entering the 2019 spring drills the group is unproven, so fully evaluating the needs for the 2020 class will require seeing how it shakes out during the 2019 campaign. But that won't stop Notre Dame from making wide receiver a prior- ity in the 2020 class. It isn't as much about need as the fact that the 2020 class is specifically loaded at this posi- tion, and Notre Dame will look to tap into that by adding players as good — or better — than what is already on campus. Notre Dame expanded its board during the winter evaluation period, but a number of players stand out as early priority targets. St. Louis DeSmet wideout Jordan Johnson is a consensus top-100 re- cruit, and has been a top target for the Irish for more than a year. John- son — the No. 12 wide receiver and No. 51 overall player in the land per Rivals — made a return trip back to South Bend in January and has set a commitment date for July 28. Notre Dame has also made a hard push for Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East burner A.J. Henning, a hybrid running back/wide receiver that brings game-changing speed to the mix. Henning — Rivals' No. 3 all-pur- pose back and No. 84 overall player nationally — has made multiple trips to Notre Dame, and the Irish are con- sidered one of his top schools. Fresno (Calif.) San Joaquin Memo- rial product Jalen McMillan (No. 14 wide receiver and No. 68 overall) is a gifted pass catcher and route runner, and his advanced tools have made him a priority for the Irish staff. Notre Dame has had minimal success re- cruiting in Fresno, but Long and re- ceivers coach DelVaughn Alexander aren't letting such history prevent them from making a serious run at the 6-2, 175-pounder. Every school craves to add speed and playmaking skills to its roster, and that is why the staff offered Omaha (Neb.) Burke athlete Xavier Watts. Listed as a three-star player and the No. 88 wideout in the country by Rivals, Watts has the film and skills that are every bit as impressive as the three players mentioned above. The wide receiver board is expected to keep growing while the staff con- tinues to scour the nation for top pass catchers. Early indications are to land at least two wideouts, but if enough impact players want to join, the number could expand all the way to four. TIGHT END Players On The 2020 Roster: 4 Projected Take: 2 After signing two tight ends in the 2017 class and two more in the 2018 haul, the staff made the decision to focus its recruiting efforts on the posi- tion in the 2020 class. That paid huge dividends, with Notre Dame already having landed two of the nation's pre- mier tight ends. On June 13, 2018, the Irish secured a pledge from Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic standout Kevin Bauman, the No. 2 tight end and No. 102 overall prospect in the country according to Rivals. Less than a month later the staff picked up Alexandria (Ky.) Covington Catholic two-way standout Michael Mayer, who Rivals ranks as the No. 3 tight end and No. 113 overall player in the class. Bauman is a workmanlike figure who can block, make plays on the ball and work the middle of the field. Mayer is an athletic pass catcher that can do as much damage out wide as he can over the middle. He is also an outstanding prep defender, making all-league as a defensive end after his sophomore season and linebacker fol- lowing his junior year. Beyond their talent, the best part about the commits are their skill sets complement each other perfectly. In time, do not be surprised if this pair challenges the 2017 duo of Cole Kmet and Brock Wright for best tight end haul of the Brian Kelly era that is entering year 10. OFFENSIVE LINE Players On The 2020 Roster: 14 Projected Take: 3-4 For now, Notre Dame is projected to have 14 scholarship offensive line- men on the 2020 roster, and all but three will have multiple seasons of eligibility remaining. That is an ex- ceptional situation given the quality. Notre Dame has already landed commitments from two of the top three tight ends in the 2020 class, including Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic stand- out Kevin Bauman. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM