Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1515937
64 MARCH 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY D o not count John Aister among those who expected Cam Williams to react irrationally to Notre Dame wide receivers coach Chansi Stuck- ey's sudden departure three weeks before early National Signing Day. Aister, the offensive coordinator at Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South, knew Wil- liams well before the top-100 four-star wide receiver verbally committed to the Fighting Irish in June 2022. Over the last three years, they developed a trustworthy bond that has welcomed transparent and truthful conversations. When reports surfaced Nov. 28 that Notre Dame parted ways with Stuckey — Wil- liams' future position coach — the 2024 class pass catcher reached out to his high school coach. The theme of their discus- sion aligned with Williams' recruitment. "Cam showed a lot of maturity," Aister told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "He under- stood what college football is today. He understood the nature of the business that coaches come and go. From the be- ginning of his recruitment, he understood that when he looked at schools. It wasn't just about one singular relationship or person that would lead him to the right school. "There was a lot that went into those decisions. There was a lot that led him to Notre Dame." Williams, On3's No. 64 overall player and No. 10 wide receiver in the 2024 class, committed to the Irish about two months before the start of his junior season. He chose Notre Dame over 17 other Power Five offers. Two of those offers came from Cin- cinnati and Wisconsin, where current Irish wide receivers coach Mike Brown served previously. Before Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman welcomed Brown to the program on Dec. 10, he spent the 2023 season at Wisconsin and was at Cincinnati from 2019-21. The familiar face helped Williams as- sure fellow 2024 wide receivers, four- stars Logan Saldate and Micah Gilbert, that Freeman's replacement for Stuckey was sufficient. On3 ranks Salinas (Calif.) Palma's Sal- date as the No. 53 wide receiver nation- ally and the No. 25 prospect in California. Gilbert is the No. 32 wide receiver in the country and the No. 6 recruit from North Carolina. "I'd known Coach Brown prior," Wil- liams said. "It wasn't that hard to bond with him, considering we had a relation- ship when he was at Cincinnati and a little of Wisconsin. I knew how good of a dude and coach he was prior, so I was fully comfortable. I let the other guys in the class know, like Logan and Micah, that we're in good hands." As was the case for parts of Williams' recruitment, his acceptance of Brown's hiring did not stop other programs from expressing interest in him leading up to December's National Signing Day. How- ever, those conversations never went far. Williams remained fully committed to the Irish — a stance he took at the start of his pledge. "He told me right after he committed, 'I'm done doing the recruiting thing. I don't want to do it. I don't want to be that guy who goes around everywhere just be- cause it's an experience,'" said Aister, re- calling a past conversation with Williams. "He's like, 'I love Notre Dame for what it is and what they can offer me in the school and the institution.' … "He knows what he wants. He's known it since he committed to Notre Dame. Be- ing at Notre Dame on visits solidified that viewpoint. You would have found out if there was a reason for him to look else- where." WILLIAMS' NOTRE DAME LOYALTY COMES WITH BIG EXPECTATIONS The 6-foot-2, 191-pound Williams signed with the Irish on Dec. 20. When he enrolled at Notre Dame in January, he added a notable profile to the Irish wide receivers corps. Since 2009, the only wide receivers to rank higher than Williams in the recruit- ing rankings are Lorenzo Styles (2021) and Jordan Johnson (2020). Per On3, Styles was the No. 33 overall player and No. 4 wide receiver in 2021. The On3 indus- try Ranking — which weights the rank- ings of ESPN, Rivals.com and 247Sports — ranked Johnson the No. 43 player and No. 6 wideout in 2020. On3 did not begin ranking recruits until the 2021 cycle. If that did not add enough pres- sure on Williams to make an early impact at Notre Dame, the state of the program's wide receivers did. After the 2024 season, Williams will be one of just eight scholarship wide receiv- ers on the roster. Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie will be able to move on after graduating. Of course, Williams will also be the top recruit in the group. Some might expect Williams to con- tribute at Notre Dame as early as this sea- son. According to Aister, however, that is not Williams' thinking. He sees it dif- ferently. "Those expectations are from many people that don't know Cam," Aister said. "The things that he's being told from the people closest to him are, 'Be your best yourself.' Freeman would probably echo that by saying, 'We don't need you to be five-star Cam the first day you walk in on campus. We just need you to be the best version of yourself every single day.'" Still, the Irish can count on Wil- liams to contribute early if necessary. In 11 games as a senior, he caught 37 passes for 909 yards (24.6 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns. He also added 468 yards and 6 scores on 30 carries (15.6 yards per carry). Williams stayed locked in with the Irish despite two offensive coordinator and one wide receiver coach- ing changes during his recruitment. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 Cam Williams Stayed The Course With Notre Dame