Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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32 JUNE/JULY 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame badly wanted Warner Robins (Ga.) High wide receiver Isiah Canion in its 2024 recruiting class and was able to pull off the big win April 27. The four-star prospect visited Notre Dame during the first weekend of March and picked up his scholarship offer while on campus. He returned to South Bend over the weekend of Blue-Gold Game, and that's when he knew he wanted to pick Notre Dame for his college career. "I loved the atmosphere and the coaching staff," Canion told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "After watching their spring game and spending the day interacting with the coaching staff and the other recruits, I felt really comfortable and started to come out of my shell. I really enjoyed the day." Canion took a day or two to mull things over after the visit, and then con- tacted the Notre Dame staff to inform them of the big news. "I called Coach [Chansi] Stuckey first, and he was really excited," Canion said. "We talked for about 10 minutes, and he was talking about how excited he was. We both agreed that this 2024 class at Notre Dame is going to be special." Canion and Stuckey, who is going into his second year as Notre Dame's wide receivers coach, share the same home- town of Warner Robins, Ga. " T h e re l a t i o n s h i p w i t h C o a c h Stuckey was really important because with him being the receivers coach, I will be spending most of my time with him," Canion said. "It's important to have a strong relationship with the per- son that will be coaching you." T h e 6 - fo o t -3, 19 0 - p o u n d pa ss catcher added that his favorite part about his experience in South Bend dur- ing the spring game was hanging out with the other Irish commits. Canion is fired up to join Notre Dame's 2024 class and should be a strong culture fit in the Irish locker room. "I'd say I'm a pretty laid back, chill type of guy, and I think I'm a pretty good teammate," he said. "I try to encourage others around me." Canion joins Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South wideout Cam Williams on the receiver pledge list. According to On3's rankings, Canion and Williams both are top-100 recruits. Canion is the nation's No. 15 wideout and No. 94 overall player per On3. Canion played some quarterback during his junior season in helping lead Warner Robins to a 10-5 record, com- pleting 42 of 61 passes for 584 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also added a rushing score and 32 yards. As a receiver, Canion hauled in 26 passes for 395 yards and 5 touchdowns. Canion was named to the Georgia Re- gion 2-5A second-team offense for his efforts in 2022. Warner Robins fell in the Georgia Class 5A state title game last season, but Canion was a part of a state champion- ship winning team in 2021. The Irish have landed three commit- ments from the Peach State this spring. Canion joins Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek pass rusher Cole Mullins and Roswell (Ga.) High offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp on the 2024 Notre Dame commitment list. Canion also held offers from Florida State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Cincinnati, Mississippi State, Duke, Stanford, Vander- bilt, Dartmouth and others. He didn't receive his first scholarship offer until Feb. 17, which came from the Hoosiers. ✦ Hometown Connection Leads Georgia Receiver To South Bend FILM ANALYSIS "Isiah Canion one of the most physically gifted receivers we've evaluated in the 2024 cycle. He has a very big frame along with high-end athleticism. He measured around 6-3 and over 190 pounds with a 6-foot-6 wingspan at the Atlanta Under Armour Camp. He also has huge hands; we've heard that they're close to 10.5 inches. "He's a big-framed guy and a plus athlete. He ran a laser-timed 4.51 40-yard dash, which is a phe- nomenal time in that setting. He ran a 4.25 shuttle and has a 34-inch vertical. If you were to adjust his testing numbers to his size, he had one of the two or three best combines at that camp with 100 or more FBS prospects. From a natural, physical perspective, he's what you want as an outside receiver. "In watching him play receiver on film and in the camp setting. He has natural ball skills. He has good tempo in his routes. He'll need to continue to hone his technical skills at the position. He'll need development and will benefit from good receiver coaching at the college level. "When you look at his physical ability and size, there's not many receivers that stack up with him, and it's a really strong year at the position. He's in the top four or five in that regard." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power COMMITMENT PROFILE ISIAH CANION Canion, a four-star prospect from Warner Robins (Ga.) High, is ranked as the No. 15 wide receiver and the No. 94 overall player in the 2024 class by On3. PHOTO COURTESY ISIAH CANION