Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1173290
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 7, 2019 43 PREP PROFILES Notre Dame recently expanded its 2021 wide receiver board with a couple of new offers. Baltimore Mount St. Joseph pass catcher Dont'e Thornton Jr., the na- tion's No. 7 receiver and No. 37 over- all player per Rivals, received an offer from the Fighting Irish Sept. 10. The following week, Notre Dame dished out an offer to Philadelphia St. Joseph's Prep playmaker Marvin Harrison Jr., who is Rivals' No. 15 wideout and No. 76 overall recruit in the country. Harrison's name may sound famil- iar — his father is former Indianapolis Colts and NFL Hall of Fame standout Marvin Harrison. In mid-September, Notre Dame wide receivers coach Del Alexander called Harrison and his father and offered a scholarship to the four-star prospect to play for the Irish. "I was happy," Harrison said. "I know they are not just a prestigious program, but a prestigious university." Harrison has only had a couple of phone conversations with Alexander, but it's clear that the 6-4, 175-pounder is impressed with the Irish assistant. "I can tell he's more than just a coach, which I love," he noted. "A good coach that I can have a relationship with on and off the field is definitely at the top of my list when it comes to what I'm looking for in a college. "He's a caring coach, and I can't wait to talk some football with him." One key theme of Harrison's conversations with Alexander has been getting up to South Bend. The star receiver hasn't seen Notre Dame firsthand, and he would like to visit. "I don't think I'll be able to get up there during the season because of our schedule, but I will after the season," he said. Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and more than a dozen others have also extended an offer to Harrison. The current team to beat in his re- cruitment is the Buckeyes. They have Rivals' four-star quarterback Kyle Mc- Cord committed to them in the 2021 class, and he is teammates with Harri- son at St. Joseph's Prep. "They are ahead by a large margin at this point," Harrison told Rivals in the spring. "It would take a lot for another college to catch up to Ohio State." — Mike Singer Justin Walters wasn't expecting an offer from the Fighting Irish follow- ing his visit for their 66-14 victory against New Mexico Sept. 14. How- ever, the 6-1, 170-pounder added Notre Dame to his list Sept. 19. Notre Dame safeties coach Terry Joseph ex- tended the offer to Walters. "It means a lot," Walters said of his Irish offer. "I fell in love with the campus, and Notre Dame has the academic aspect. If you get a degree from there, you're set for life. "The connections are great there, plus you have the football part of it. The community is a great thing to be a part of." During Walters' visit to Notre Dame, he was able to spend time with Joseph, who would be his po- sition coach if he chooses the Irish. "I mainly talked to Terry Joseph," Walters said. "He was saying how he was going to coach me if I go there and told me about their defensive schemes. "They said they watched my tape and loved it. They saw my second game film this year, and they said they'd stay in contact with me." Walters' time at Notre Dame was a successful one. The three-star pro- spect took a detailed look at campus and learned plenty. "When we got there, we had lunch and then got our measurements done," Walters said. "The coaches came in before the player walk, so I got to talk to my position coaches and the defensive coordinator. "We watched the player walk and then took a facility tour. We watched the game and after that, we got a campus tour." New Mexico wasn't a marquee op- ponent for the Irish, but the crowd support was lively. The environment at the game impressed Walters, who is the No. 8 recruit in Illinois and the No. 14 safety in the nation per Rivals. "I think it was great," Walters noted. "We sat by the student sec- tion, and it was live. They had so much energy, and the crowd was so loud. I thought it was great to be around the people there." Walters also holds offers from Bos- ton College, Iowa, Iowa State, Michi- gan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin. — Mike Singer Notre Dame Offers One Of The Nation's Best Junior Receivers Fighting Irish Offer Is Meaningful For Illinois Safety "It means a lot. I fell in love with the campus, and Notre Dame has the academic aspect. If you get a degree from there, you're set for life. The connections are great there, plus you have the football part of it. The community is a great thing to be a part of." Walters on his Notre Dame offer "I can tell he's more than just a coach, which I love. A good coach that I can have a relationship with on and off the field is definitely at the top of my list when it comes to what I'm looking for in a college." Harrison on Notre Dame receivers coach Del Alexander MARVIN HARRISON JR. ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ St. Joseph's Prep Philadelphia Status: Offered Class: 2021 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 175 Rivals Rankings: No. 3 player in Pennsylvania, and No. 15 wide receiver and No. 76 overall player nationally JUSTIN WALTERS ✪ ✪ ✪ Bolingbrook H.S. Bolingbrook, Ill. Status: Offered Class: 2021 Position: Safety Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 170 Rivals Rankings: No. 8 player in Illinois and No. 14 safety in the country