Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM JUNE/JULY 2022 37 PREP PROFILES Saline (Mich.) High class of 2024 quarterback CJ Carr had visited Notre Dame twice before and made it a prior- ity to get back for visit No. 3. That goal was accomplished in April. "The main thing we wanted to check off was seeing Coach [Tommy] Rees in the quarterback room and how he coaches on the field," Carr said. "Those were two things we got to see on the visit and were excited by. I'm eager to keep building a relationship with Coach Rees and Coach [Marcus] Freeman." Carr liked how upbeat Notre Dame's practice was. "I saw a lot of energy," he said. "They really like to emphasize com- petition. That stood out to me." Carr saw a glimpse of what his future could be like, sitting in a Rees-led quar- terback meeting before practice started that morning and going through a film study with him in the afternoon. "It was really cool to watch them in- stall a play and then see it in the practice," Carr said. "We got to talk to Coach Rees after practice and take a look at my film. He talked about some things he liked and some things that I can work on." His meetings with Rees centered around X's and O's, while Carr's in- depth chat with Freeman was more about learning about the first-time head coach's vision for the Notre Dame football program. "That was a really awesome experi- ence," Carr said of speaking with Free- man. "It was the first time I got to meet Coach Free- man in person. He likes to em- phasize competition, and I can tell how badly he wants to win at Notre Dame." While the Wolverines have a lot of history with the Carr family, Notre Dame is a school to watch out for in his recruitment. "They're really high on my list right now," he said. "I'm looking at them hard. I really like Coach Rees and Coach Freeman. I'm excited to continue to grow that relationship and get back down to South Bend." His grandfather, Lloyd Carr, coached at Michigan from 1980-2007 with the last 13 seasons as the Wolverines' head coach, and his father is Jason Carr, a former quarterback for U-M from 1992-95. — Mike Singer Notre Dame hosted one of the top prospects nationally in the 2024 class April 14. Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe Cath- olic edge Elijah Rushing made a return visit to Notre Dame's campus. His first time in South Bend was last September for the Purdue game. Rushing had experienced a game day, so it was important for him to get in an offseason visit to spend more time with the coaching staff. And above all, there was one priority for Rushing on the visit. "The biggest reason I went there is to understand how I'd fit in their de- fense," Rushing said. "I got to talk to some of the coaches over the phone, and we talked about it. But it was better to see it in person for a spring practice. "I got to see what it'd look like, and then I sat d ow n w i t h t h e m a n d learned more about it." Notre Dame is recruiting Rushing to play its versatile vyper position and the outstanding prospect learned even more about it during a film room meeting with new defensive coordinator Al Golden. "He was breaking down how the scheme works and what they're looking for in a vyper," Rushing noted. "They feel like I fit that position best. I learned more about it and learned how their de- fense works." Rushing was impressed with the Irish's defensive approach. "I really like their vision," he said. "It's a great scheme. I got to see it in action in spring practice, which was the biggest thing I was impressed with from the visit." Rushing enjoyed getting to meet Golden and defensive line coach Al Washington for the first time. "Both of them are great people, and they're great teachers," Rushing added. "I got to see Coach Washington in ac- tion and got to sit down with Coach Golden and go over film. They're both great teachers." It's early in Rushing's recruitment but Notre Dame, which offered him in March, is clearly a contender for him. "They're definitely high on my list," Rushing said. "I have to step back from this visit, not get too emotion- ally wrapped up in it and analyze it. I have to look at all my op- tions and analyze everything." — Mike Singer Michigan Legacy Has High Interest In The Fighting Irish Impressive 2024 Edge Enjoys Notre Dame Spring Visit CJ CARR ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Saline H.S. Saline, Mich. Status: Offered Class: 2024 Position: Quarterback Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 190 On3 Rankings: No. 1 player in Michigan, and No. 4 quar- terback and No. 35 overall player nationally ELIJAH RUSHING ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Salpointe Catholic H.S. Tucson, Ariz. Status: Offered Class: 2024 Position: Edge Ht.: 6-6 • Wt.: 226 On3 Rankings: No. 2 player in Arizona, and No. 2 edge and No. 7 overall player nationally "I saw a lot of energy. They really like to emphasize competition. That stood out to me." Carr on Notre Dame's spring practice "I really like their vision. It's a great scheme. I got to see it in action in spring practice, which was the biggest thing I was impressed with from the visit." Rushing on Notre Dame