Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 SEPT. 19, 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING MIKE SINGER H eading into the 2020 season, Notre Dame had 18 verbal com- mitments in the 2021 class and three early pledges from prospects in the 2022 recruiting cycle. On Sept. 1, col- lege coaches were allowed to start initiating contact with recruits in the 2022 class, and the Fighting Irish staff was busy contacting its top targets. Below is a look at five premier prospects on the offensive side of the ball, and in next week's issue of Blue & Gold Illustrated we will take a look at five names to know on defense. STEVEN ANGELI QUARTERBACK • 6-2, 205 Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, No. 5 player in New Jersey and No. 12 pro-style quarterback nationally The Skinny: Notre Dame was one of the last schools in the country to offer a 2022 quarterback, with Angeli and one other officially getting the call Aug. 17. Angeli makes a lot of sense for the Fighting Irish, not only because of his superb arm talent, but he is a great fit for Notre Dame off the field and has strong connections to the school. Angeli has a great uncle who played for the Irish in the 1940s, and his family is close with former Notre Dame players and fellow New Jersey natives Quenton Nelson and Brandon Wimbush. He hasn't visited South Bend yet and plans to stay pa- tient with his recruitment process. He saw the field in 2019 in mainly a reserve role behind senior Andrew Boel and completed 30 of 49 passes for 372 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. LSU, Michi- gan, Ohio State, Penn State and oth- ers have offered Angeli. DALLAN HAYDEN RUNNING BACK • 6-0, 192 Memphis (Tenn.) Christian Brothers Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, No. 9 player in Tennessee, and No. 18 athlete and No. 222 overall player nationally The Skinny: Although he's the son of former Tennessee Volunteers running back Aaron Hayden, the younger Hayden is certainly not a lock to play in Knoxville. In fact, his family may want to attend a school with a stronger education, which could play in Notre Dame's favor. Rivals lists Hayden as an athlete because of his ability at both corner- back and running back, but Notre Dame prefers him at the latter posi- tion. Irish running backs coach Lance Taylor is leading the charge in this re- cruitment, and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and head coach Brian Kelly have been in contact as well. TYLER MORRIS WIDE RECEIVER • 5-11, 170 Lagrange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, No. 2 player in Michigan, and No. 7 wide receiver and No. 70 overall player nationally The Skinny: Notre Dame offered Morris in May 2019, and he has made his way over to South Bend on a few occasions. There is no denying Mor- ris' affection for the program, and he thinks highly of Rees and wide receivers coach Del Alexander. How- ever, the Irish will have to beat out Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Penn State, Texas, Wisconsin and oth- ers for his services. What Morris lacks in size he makes up for with great hands, ball skills and elite route running ability. Those traits make him an ideal fit in the slot for the Fighting Irish. BILLY SCHRAUTH OFFENSIVE GUARD • 6-5, 280 Fond du Lac (Wis.) St. Mary's Springs Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, No. 4 player in Wisconsin, and No. 2 offensive guard and No. 105 overall player nationally The Skinny: Schrauth, an outstand- ing two-way interior lineman, was on commitment watch for the Fighting Irish as of early September. The pro- grams standing out the most to him are Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Wisconsin, but from what we've gathered, it's the Fighting Irish that hold a slight lead over the Badgers. It's a difficult feat to pluck a top recruit out of Wisconsin — especially an offensive lineman — but the Irish are trending towards that recruit- ing triumph. Schrauth has formed a close relationship with offensive line coach Jeff Quinn and loved his visit to South Bend last fall. GAVIN WIMSATT QUARTERBACK • 6-3, 200 Owensboro (Ky.) High Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, No. 1 player in Kentucky, and No. 1 dual-threat quarterback and No. 50 overall player nationally The Skinny: From a profile fit, An- geli seems like a no-brainer, but don't count out Wimsatt as the young man who could be the class of 2022 quar- terback for the Irish. Wimsatt has built a strong connection with Rees over the past month and change, and their bond is strengthening with ev- ery conversation. The Notre Dame staff wants to con- tinue to evaluate and build relation- ships with both Angeli and Wimsatt, and neither prospect is in a hurry to make his commitment. Last fall, Wimsatt threw for 2,729 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, plus compiled 564 rushing yards with 12 scores, while leading his team to a 12-2 record. ✦ Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic's Steven Angeli, a four-star prospect and the nation's No. 12 pro- style quarterback per Rivals, is considered a Notre Dame lean early in the 2022 recruiting cycle. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Five Offensive Recruits To Watch In The 2022 Class