Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 14, 2023 45 FOOTBALL RECRUITING KOBY HOWARD Wide Receiver • 5-11, 175 Class Of 2025 Davie (Fla.) Western On3 Rankings: Three-star recruit, No. 34 player in Florida, and No. 29 wide receiver and No. 215 overall player nationally. The Skinny: The Sunshine State re- cruit is one that BGI hasn't reported on for a while, because despite him pick- ing up an offer from the Irish very early in his recruitment, it seemed that he was no longer in close contact with the Notre Dame staff. However, Howard says he's making the trip up to the Midwest. Could this be the Deuce Knight effect? Knight, a four-star quarterback from Lucedale (Miss.) George County who committed to the Irish in September, has been key for Notre Dame in recruiting other pros- pects, especially at the receiver position. DAYLAN McCUTCHEON Wide Receiver • 5-11, 170 Class Of 2025 Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy On3 Rankings: Four-star recruit, No. 22 player in Texas, and No. 18 wide receiver and No. 107 overall player na- tionally. The Skinny: The Lone Star State pass catcher has been a top target for position coach Chansi Stuckey for sev- eral months, and McCutcheon return- ing to campus for the first time since April is a big deal. Florida, Miami, Oklahoma and Texas are among the other top contenders for this big-time wideout. It won't be easy to pull him out of the South, but McCutcheon thinks the world of Notre Dame. TREY McNUTT Athlete • 6-0, 180 Class Of 2025 Shaker Heights (Ohio) High On3 Rankings: Four-star recruit, No. 1 player in Ohio, and No. 4 athlete and No. 60 overall player nationally. The Skinny: Ohio State is usually able to land the top recruits from their home state, but Notre Dame often pulls off recruiting upsets in the Buckeye State. Could this be one? McNutt has been to Notre Dame a couple times previously, making it to campus in March and June. He has Ohio State heritage, though — his father is former Buckeyes safety Richard Mc- Nutt, a three-year letter-winner at OSU who started the first six games at cor- nerback for the 2002 national cham- pionship team. His uncle is former Ohio State safety Mike Doss, who also played on the 2002 Ohio State team. His mother is also an Ohio State grad. If McNutt wants to blaze his own path, it might end up being at Notre Dame. DAMIEN SHANKLIN Edge • 6-5, 210 Class Of 2025 Indianapolis Warren Central On3 Rankings: Three-star recruit, No. 2 player in Indiana, and No. 20 edge and No. 231 overall player nationally. The Skinny: The Hoosier State product picked up an offer from Notre Dame in August, and the battle for the jeweled shillelagh Oct. 14 will mark his first time on campus in South Bend. Notre Dame already has three defen- sive line commitments in the 2025 class, and it can't take too many more players at the position. It could be a rush for the remaining couple spots, and Shanklin is a player to keep a close eye on. CREE THOMAS Cornerback • 6-1, 170 Class Of 2025 Phoenix Brophy College Prep On3 Rankings: Three-star recruit, No. 4 player in Arizona and No. 35 cor- nerback in the country. The Skinny: The last player Notre Dame signed from Brophy Prep was a cornerback by the name of Benjamin Morrison, who is only a sophomore but has future NFL Draft pick written all over him. Notre Dame would love to strike gold again at the Phoenix high school at the same position. Meet Thomas, a player who the Irish hope to land in the 2025 class. Heading into his visit for the USC versus Notre Dame game, he's likely favoring Notre Dame, but the likes of Arizona, Cal, Or- egon and Wisconsin will look to make things difficult for the Fighting Irish. One thing going in Notre Dame's fa- vor is that Thomas' mentor in the re- cruiting process is Morrison. The rela- tionship between Thomas and Morrison certainly won't hurt the Fighting Irish's chances. EASTON WARE Offensive Tackle • 6-6, 290 Class Of 2025 Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy O n 3 R a n k i n gs : No t c u r re n t ly ranked. The Skinny: Ware is not a household name for Notre Dame fans. He picked up his offer from Notre Dame in September and doesn't have an On3 ranking just yet. But the likes of Auburn, Clemson and Oklahoma are in pursuit of him al- ready. When Joe Rudolph joined the Notre Dame staff as offensive line coach in March, he invited Ware to one of the program's June camps. Ware gladly ac- cepted and attended the Evaluation Camp III. The Irish kept tabs on him for the fol- lowing three months before formally offering a full-ride scholarship. Ware's return visit will take place for the rivalry matchup with USC. ✦ Indianapolis Warren Central's Damien Shanklin is the No. 2 player in Indiana and rated as the No. 20 edge and No. 231 overall player nationally according to On3. PHOTO COURTESY ON3