Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2019 77 PREP PROFILES Notre Dame has been keeping tabs on 2021 wide receiver Emeka Egbuka of Steilacoom (Wash.) High since his freshman year. On Jan. 20, Egbuka called Irish wide receivers coach Del- Vaughn Alexander and received some good news. "Coach Alexander wanted to get on the phone when my parents were around to ask their permission to offer me," Egbuka told Blue & Gold Illus- trated. "My mom was with me when we called. It's definitely a big offer. I was really happy. "I was just thinking about Notre Dame being a big school with a lot of history behind it." Egbuka won't wait too long to make it out to South Bend to check out the Irish program for himself. The talented sophomore will visit Notre Dame March 21 during a Midwest visit swing where he will also see Ohio State and Michigan. "I just want to see the culture there and if it's a family environment," Eg- buka said of the Irish trip. "I want to see if the players vibe together, the type of community they have there, the fa- cilities, what they have to offer academ- ically and what the players major in." The 6-1, 180-pounder began com- municating with cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght following one of the Irish assistant's stops to his school a year ago before coming into con- tact recently with Alexander after he and Lyght visited Steilacoom High to check in on Egbuka. "Coach Alexander was just excited to finally have the chance to talk to my parents," Egbuka said. "That's why he wanted to talk to them when he did it. He's looking forward to me visiting on March 21. "My mom seemed to like him. Coach Alexander is a genuine guy." Given he is just a sophomore, Eg- buka is not going to rush the process, but Notre Dame certainly has his at- tention early. "My interest level in them is high," he said. "They really sling the rock, which is something I really look at since I will be playing wide receiver on the next level. They are definitely a school that is up there for me. "I'm wide open right now, so there aren't any schools over another school. They are one I will be taking a close look at the next couple of years." During his sophomore year, Egbuka caught 72 passes for 1,492 yards and 23 touchdowns. — David McKinney On Jan. 17, the Notre Dame coach- ing staff stopped in at Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High to check in on three-star 2020 wide receiver Bryce Gowdy. Gowdy, the No. 241 overall pros- pect in the nation and No. 40 player in the Sunshine State according to ESPN, told Blue & Gold Illustrated following the visit that he was a big fan of Notre Dame and would love to eventually land an offer from the Fighting Irish. On Jan. 18, that offer came. The Florida talent, who had com- municated with Note Dame a good bit in the weeks leading up to the school visit, said it had a been a long wait. "That offer was highly anticipated," Gowdy said. "I'd been waiting on it for a while now." Of course, the wait turned out be worth it. "When I found out I was offered by them I was very excited," Gowdy said. "I was very happy. On a scale of 1-10, I'm a nine. They're a great football team and they have great aca- demics to back it up." With an offer now on the table, the next step for Notre Dame in its re- cruitment of Gowdy will be getting him to campus for a visit. He said that will be a priority for him going forward. "Of course," Gowdy said of a po- tential visit. "I definitely want to see the campus." Seeing the Irish in the College Foot- ball Playoff, Gowdy noted, is a big part of the reason he's so intrigued by the Notre Dame tender. "They're an elite team," he said. "Seeing them in the top four was amazing. They were with the best." Going forward, Gowdy will con- tinue to evaluate each program that offers him, and eventually make a decision based on wherever he feels most comfortable. "I want to see what they need at the position," he explained. "Also culture and family. Wherever feels like home, I'll go there." Currently, Gowdy holds a handful of offers, including Florida, Auburn, Florida State, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina and Arkan- sas, among others. — David McKinney Florida Wide Receiver 'Very Excited' To Land Irish Offer Notre Dame 'Definitely A Big Offer' For 2021 Wide Receiver BRYCE GOWDY ✪ ✪ ✪ Deerfield Beach H.S. Deerfield Beach, Fla. Status: Offered Class: 2020 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 190 Rivals Rankings: No. 66 player in Florida and No. 81 wide receiver nationally EMEKA EGBUKA Steilacoom H.S. Steilacoom, Wash. Status: Offered Class: 2021 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 180 Rivals Rankings: Currently unrated "When I found out I was offered by them I was very excited. I was very happy. On a scale of 1-10, I'm a nine. They're a great football team and they have great academics to back it up." GOWDY ON NOTRE DAME "My interest level in them is high. They really sling the rock, which is something I really look at since I will be playing wide receiver on the next level." EGBUKA ON THE IRISH