Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 NOV. 19, 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER W hen Notre Dame beat Clemson in double overtime in 2020, a lim- ited number of Irish fans in the stadium due to COVID-19 guidelines rushed the field. The latest installment of the heavy- weight contest resulted in another field storming, and it had a lot more of the Irish faithful rushing the grounds. In- cluded among those that made their way onto the field were a few dozen Notre Dame recruits. "That was one of the most electric games I have ever been to," said Saline (Mich.) High's CJ Carr, a Notre Dame commit who is the No. 12 quarterback and No. 138 overall player per On3's 2024 rankings. "Rushing the field at the end was an amazing experience and made me excited for the future." Field storming aside, Notre Dame's class of 2023 and 2024 commits in at- tendance for the game had an absolute blast. Irish supporters showed up — there was no orange invasion at Notre Dame Stadium. The energy was fantas- tic. And play on the field from Marcus Freeman's squad — most importantly — was outstanding as well. "It was an amazing game and amaz- ing win," said Lawrence (Mass.) Central Catholic's Preston Zinter, a three-star player, the No. 50 linebacker nationally and an Irish class of 2023 pledge. "It proves that Notre Dame can complete with the best in the country. It was an incredible game to experience. It just reminded me why I chose Notre Dame to be my new home." The responses about Notre Dame's big win poured in from Notre Dame's commits. "I thought it was amazing," said Irish pledge and Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean's Drayk Bowen, who is the No. 18 line- backer and No. 208 overall prospect in America per On3's 2023 rankings. "The defense played phenomenal, only al- lowing 14 points, and the linebackers played great. They stopped the run and got to the quarterback when they needed to. All around it was a great win." "These types of games are why you come to Notre Dame, and now the country knows the 'Freeman Era' is here," exclaimed Belmont (N.C.) South Point's Sullivan Absher, the No. 7 offen- sive tackle and No. 59 overall prospect nationally in 2023 per On3. NOTRE DAME TARGETS ARE BUZZING ABOUT THE IRISH A marquee visitor for Clemson week- end was Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee's Khalil Barnes, a three-star prospect and the No. 81 cornerback nationally per On3's 2023 rankings. While he's listed as a defensive back, Notre Dame has been recruiting him as a wide receiver. Barnes was on campus for an official visit. He was supposed to get in Saturday morning, but flights were being delayed due to weather. Barnes arrived on cam- pus around 4 p.m. "After all of the delays, I didn't really know what to expect," Barnes said. "But once I got there, feeling the vibe and be- ing around the coaches and recruits, it definitely exceeded expectations. I was more than happy that I went." Going into the trip, Barnes wanted to see how he clicked with the Fight- ing Irish staff in person. He had gotten along well with them on the phone, but face-to-face interaction is different. "Coach [Marcus] Freeman is every- thing I expected and more," Barnes said. "I'd run through a brick wall for him. I really like him. I like the way he coaches and what his priorities are. "He wants to make you a great foot- ball player but it's not just about that. He cares so much about his players and does it all for his players." No t re Da m e f l i p p e d C i n c i n n a t i Archbishop Moeller's Karson Hobbs, a three-star player and the No. 31 cor- nerback nationally per On3's 2024 rank- ings, from his South Carolina commit- ment just a few days after watching the Irish beat the Tigers in person. He grew up a big fan of the Irish, so Notre Dame defeating a top-five Clemson program was especially meaningful to him. "That was the craziest college foot- ball game I've ever been to, especially with it being a night game," he said. "It was awesome with that true freshman Ben Morrison having two picks. "It was crazy. You look all over the stadium and there's green pom-poms flying everywhere. It was loud and you could really feel the energy. I loved it." Blue & Gold Illustrated sources indi- cate that Notre Dame has become the team to beat for Hannibal (Mo.) High's Aneyas Williams, the nation's No. 16 running back and No. 185 overall player in the 2024 class, following his trip to South Bend. It was his fourth time on campus since April. ✦ The Recruiting Impact of Notre Dame's Win Over Clemson Notre Dame had several of its class of 2024 commits on campus for the Clemson game, including Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South wide receiver Cam Williams (left), West Bloomfield (Mich.) High defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain (middle) and Saline (Mich.) High quarterback CJ Carr (right). PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER