Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 26, 2022 43 PREP PROFILES Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul II class of 2023 quarterback Kenny Minchey committed to Pittsburgh April 30 over offers from Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Tennessee, West Vir- ginia and Virginia. Notre Dame offered Minchey July 30 in hopes to flip him from his Panthers' pledge, but nothing came of that over the summer, and the four-star signal-caller seemed locked in with his Pittsburgh commitment. That changed as the fall went on, though, and M i n c h e y a n - nounced his de- c o m m i t m e n t from Pittsburgh Nov. 14, and the Fight- ing Irish are in heavy pursuit of the 6-1, 205-pounder. Minchey was expected to officially visit Notre Dame the weekend of Nov. 18-20, which would be his sec- ond time in South Bend. He camped for the staff in June 2021. With Minchey back on the market, other programs still in search for a class of 2023 quarterback will surely look to heat things up with him as well. On Nov. 6, Pittsburgh Sports Now re- ported that Minchey planned to enroll early with the Panthers, so one could rea- sonably assume that he'd also get to Notre Dame in January if he is to choose the Irish. On3's rankings list Minchey as the No. 16 quarterback and No. 259 overall player in America. In 13 games played in 2021, he completed 215 of 351 passes for 3,280 yards with 32 touch- downs. On the ground, he added 137 yards and 3 scores. Minchey suf- fered a shoulder injury in early Septem- ber and missed a lot of the 2022 sea- son, but was able to return to action Nov. 4 and led his team to a 35-13 play- off victory that night. Before his injury, Minchey completed 47 of 64 passes for 768 yards with 11 touchdowns and 1 in- terception in four games. Minchey also was a standout per- former at the 2022 Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles at the end of June, according to On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power. "Minchey had a good three days at the Elite 11 Finals," Power wrote. "He was a top performer on Day 2 with one of the better pro day workouts and showed good zip on his throws throughout the week. Minchey has a compact, powerful build and was able to drive the ball out to the boundary and middle of the field with little strain." — Mike Singer Hannibal (Mo.) High class of 2024 running back Aneyas Williams has been a regular at Notre Dame for the past several months. The four-star playmaker made it to South Bend to watch the Irish upset then No. 4-ranked Clemson 35-14. It was his fourth trip to campus since April. "It's an easy-to-get-to place," Wil- liams said about his frequent Notre Dame visits. "It's about four hours away. I went to one of the better games also. I wanted to get a game experience there to see what it's like. I couldn't have picked a better game to go to. Talking to all of the recruits was definitely fun. Build- ing those relationships is always fun, no matter where you are. It's good to get different perspectives. Obviously, the game was definitely a highlight. Rush- ing the field was awesome. You don't get that experience all the time." A big part of his high interest in the Fighting Irish is his relationship with the Notre Dame staff. Between head coach Marcus Freeman, running backs coach Deland McCullough, offensive coordina- tor Tommy Rees and director of recruit- ing Chad Bowden, there's someone on staff contacting him nearly every day. "Their vibe has never changed; it's al- ways the same since I showed up for my visit in April," he said. "They're great with me." Notre Dame is considered the favorite to land him, and he may not be too far off from a decision. "From the recruiting aspect, it's the love," he said about the Irish. "They def- initely hit me up the most; it's the most people contacting me. They're doing all they can to recruit me. Being there, it's the tradition. It's ND for life there." On Nov. 14, Williams announced his top 10, which includes Alabama, Flor- ida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State and Tennessee. "I just think this is a good time to get it down to where I can really focus and really build better relationships," Wil- liams told On3. "I want to be committed before my senior year. I'm looking to speed this process up, for sure." — Mike Singer Irish In Pursuit Of Four-Star Tennessee Quarterback Four-Star Missouri Running Back Enjoys Visiting Notre Dame KENNY MINCHEY ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Pope John Paul II H.S. Hendersonville, Tenn. Status: Offered Class: 2023 Position: Quarterback Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 205 Rivals Rankings: No. 5 player in Tennessee, and No. 16 quarterback and No. 259 overall prospect in the country ANEYAS WILLIAMS ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Hannibal H.S. Hannibal, Mo. Status: Offered Class: 2024 Position: Running back Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 195 Rivals Rankings: No. 5 player in Missouri and No. 16 running back and No. 185 overall player nationally "Minchey had a good three days at the Elite 11 Finals. He was a top performer on Day 2 with one of the better pro day workouts and showed good zip on his throws throughout the week." On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power "It's an easy-to-get-to place. It's about four hours away. I went to one of the better games also. I wanted to get a game experience there to see what it's like." Williams on frequently visiting Notre Dame