Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 JUNE/JULY 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER T he NCAA announced on April 15 that all recruiting activities would return to normal on June 1. The dead period that has been in place since March 13, 2020 will end on May 31, 2021, and high school prospects will be able to take recruiting visits to col- leges once again. Notre Dame has been scheduling official visit dates with more than 30 prospects in preparation for what will be a hectic month of June. Although the list is tentative, 24 of the 32 prospects we expect to officially visit Notre Dame this summer are ranked as four-star players by Rivals. The Fighting Irish staff is essentially bringing as many of its top targets on campus as possible. JUNE 11-13 Notre Dame decided not to have of- ficial visitors the first weekend of June, so it will get on-campus recruiting kicked off the weekend of June 11 with nearly 10 official visits as of May 3. The Fighting Irish only have one de- fensive back pledge in the 2022 class and will have two key lockdown cor- nerbacks in South Bend that weekend. Naples (Fla.) High's Devin Moore — the No. 54 cornerback in the land per Rivals who holds offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State and others — and Phoenix Brophy Prep's Benjamin Morrison, the nation's No. 27 corner and No. 249 overall player, will be on campus. Notre Dame is considered the leader for both prospects, but their of- ficial visits will be key for the Irish to secure the recruiting victory. The Irish were originally looking to schedule Apopka (Fla.) High's Nikai Martinez, the No. 21 cornerback and No. 202 player nationally according to Rivals, for the June 11 weekend, but he will likely move it to later in the month. Buford (Ga.) High's Jake Pope is ranked as a three-star recruit and the nation's No. 34 athlete, but his June visit list includes Alabama, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Ohio State. Pope is a key safety target for the Fighting Irish, and has strong re- lationships with position coach Chris O'Leary and the rest of the staff. Staying on the defensive side of the ball, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral's An- thony Lucas and Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany's Niuafe "Junior" Tuihalamaka will also be on campus the weekend of June 11. Lucas, who is listed as a four-star recruit and the No. 26 strong-side end in the 2022 cycle by Rivals, projects as an interior defensive lineman for the Irish. Tuihal- amaka, Rivals' No. 1 inside linebacker and No. 71 overall recruit in America, is considered a strong lean to Notre Dame. Lucas may be favoring the Irish at this point in time, too. Additionally, three key Irish offen- sive targets will arrive in South Bend June 11. Vancouver (Wash.) Union's Tobias Merriweather, the No. 18 wide receiver and No. 160 overall prospect nationally according to Rivals; Las Vegas Bishop Gorman's Jake Taylor, a four-star player and Rivals' No. 37 offensive tackle in the country; and Memphis (Tenn.) Christian Brothers' Dallan Hayden, the No. 12 running back and No. 159 overall recruit in America per Rivals, are all important targets for the Fighting Irish. JUNE 14-16 The day after that group leaves cam- pus, Notre Dame plans to have a few mid-week visitors. Hilton Head (S.C.) High's Jaylen Sneed, Rivals' No. 8 outside linebacker and No. 63 overall prospect in the country, has been ar- guably defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman's biggest target since arriv- ing in January. Sneed is considered a Notre Dame lean and will likely an- nounce his final decision this summer. Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee's Dar- ren Agu, the No. 27 athlete in Amer- ica, and St. Louis John Burroughs School's Tyson Ford, the No. 6 strong-side end and No. 70 overall recruit nationally per Rivals, will take their official visit to South Bend June 14-16 as well. Agu and Ford are currently committed to Notre Dame. JUNE 18-20 More than a dozen Notre Dame targets will be on campus for the weekend of June 18. It will be the Irish's biggest recruiting weekend of the year. Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic's Steve Angeli, a four-star talent and the No. 13 pro-style quarterback in the country according to Rivals, com- mitted to Notre Dame in March and will be on campus to help recruit for the Fighting Irish, including his high school teammate, Jayden Bellamy, a three-star defensive back who has blown up with offers from Clemson, Ohio State, Penn State, Oklahoma and many others in recent months. Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral's Anthony Lucas, a four-star recruit and the No. 26 strong-side defensive end in the 2022 cycle per Rivals, is locked in for his Notre Dame official visit from June 11-13. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Notre Dame Set For Massive Recruiting Weekends In June