Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM APRIL 2022 43 PREP PROFILES Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville High class of 2023 defensive lineman Hunter Osborne was expected to an- nounce his top 10 schools sometime in late March or early April. Based on what the four-star prospect told Blue & Gold Illustrated, the Irish should have a great chance to not only make his first cut but also continue as a major factor in his recruitment. "I like them; they stand pretty high for me," Osborne said. "I probably have the strongest relationship with them out of any school at the moment. They definitely sit high for me." Several factors are making his rela- tionship strong with Notre Dame. "The amount of contact they have with me and how they try to get to know me and my family," Osborne noted. "It means a lot to me. We're communicat- ing often." N o t r e D a m e o f f e r e d O s b o r n e last October but didn't appear to be much of a contender for him. Then Al Washington joined the Irish staff in late January and started his pursuit of Osborne. The Irish have a three- headed recruiting monster after the 6-3, 250-pounder. "He talks to me all the time," Osborne said of Washington. "I hear from Coach [Chad] Bowden and Coach [Marcus] Freeman. They all talk to my family. The relationship is strong." Osborne spoke about each Notre Dame coach. "He's a great guy and family man," he said about Washington. "He's going to push me to be the best I can be, and we're going to have fun with it as well. I definitely like him. "I've been talking to him about every week," Osborne said of Irish head coach Marcus Freeman. "I love him. He's a player's coach and a cool guy. He's like one of us. He's easy to talk to. "He's a ball of energy," he said of di- rector of recruiting Chad Bowden. "He's so cool. He's come to my school, and it's all love with him." Osborne hasn't visited Notre Dame yet, so getting him on campus is the next big step for the Irish staff. "I'm definitely going to get there in the summer," On3's No. 16 defensive lineman nationally stated. — Mike Singer "I probably have the strongest relationship with them out of any school at the moment. They definitely sit high for me." OSBORNE ON NOTRE DAME Folsom (Calif.) High class of 2023 wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. named a top-five of Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas and UCLA on Feb. 22. "They're good on and off the field," Flores said about why Notre Dame made the cut. "I feel like I could have a good future there. I like the coaching staff, and the university itself is historic." Flores spoke with On3.com about why his other finalists made the cut, and for each of them, he discussed fac- tors outside of football. "Football only lasts only a few months out of the year," he explained. "It's not going to be the only thing I do in college. It'll be my new home practically." The programs that make up Flores' top five should be the final group he chooses from. He doesn't have spring trips set up just yet, but it's expected that he will see Notre Dame and the others. "I'll for sure take visits to all five," he said. The Fighting Irish staff extended an offer to Flores at the end of last April and — despite a coaching change — has kept their pursuit of him going strong. "It's been the same love from them when I first got the offer," he said. Chansi Stuckey was hired to replace Del Alexander as the Irish's wide receiv- ers coach in late January, and he and Flores hit the ground running building their relationship. "He's a really great dude," Flores said. "We talk on the phone a couple times a week and had a good Zoom call recently for an hour. He was showing me some film and is a real chill dude. The aura about him is really great. I like it. He's straight up with you." Based on Flores' top group, he's open to playing anywhere in the country. UCLA is the only West Coast school still on his list. This bodes well for Notre Dame. "They have a really strong fan base," Flores said of the Irish faithful. "On my social media, they started flooding my post with clover emoji. They show a lot of love for sure." — Mike Singer Irish Are A Finalist For Impressive California Wide Receiver Notre Dame Is A Factor For Top Alabama Defensive Lineman RICO FLORES JR. ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Folsom H.S. Folsom, Calif. Status: Offered Class: 2023 Position: Wide receiver Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 190 On3 Rankings: No. 17 player in California, and No. 40 wide receiver and No. 259 overall player nationally HUNTER OSBORNE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Hewitt-Trussville H.S. Trussville, Ala. Status: Offered Class: 2023 Position: Defensive line Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 250 On3 Rankings: No. 13 player in Alabama, and No. 16 defensive lineman and No. 105 overall player nationally "They have a really strong fan base. On my social media, they started flooding my post with clover emoji. They show a lot of love for sure." FLORES ON NOTRE DAME