Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/234294
FOOTBALL RECRUITING threat to gain his signature come National Signing Day. Smith is ranked as the No. 2 athlete in the country, the No. 2 prospect in California and the No. 13 overall player in the nation by 247Sports. • Fort Lauderdale, Fla., four-star wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie will also put his talents on display in St. Petersburg. The 5-8, 175-pounder attempted to commit to Notre Dame in October, but the staff informed him that his pledge could not be accepted due to his current academic standing. The electric athlete was worked very hard to improve his situation in the classroom, and he will likely know in January whether or not he will qualify academically. "Joystick," a nickname given to McKenzie for his speed, agility and ability to make people miss in the open field, remains adamant about his interest in taking his talents to South Bend. 247Sports ranks McKenzie as the No. 242 overall prospect in the country, the No. 31 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 28 player in Florida. • In addition to Luatua, five other Notre Dame pledges will also be participating at the Under Armour Game: Nashville, Tenn., offensive tackle Alex Bars; Fort Lauderdale, Fla., wide receiver Corey Holmes; Olney, Md., offensive guard Sam Mustipher; Demarest, N.J., defensive end Andrew Trumbetti; and Dallas cornerback Nick Watkins. U.S. ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL Location: Alamodome in San Antonio Date: Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. ET on NBC • Crete, Ill., four-star prospect and top inside linebacker target Nyles Morgan will be announcing his commitment at the game. The 6-2, 230-pound prospect has narrowed his focus to Ole Miss, Notre FOR THE LATEST NOTRE DAME RECRUITING NEWS, VISIT US AT BLUEANDGOLD.COM ON THE 247SPORTS.COM NETWORK Dame and Vanderbilt. Most expected the talented inside linebacker to head to the SEC to play football, but all signs point to him choosing the Irish in early January. Morgan would be a contributor in South Bend during his first season on campus. Oak Park, Ill., three-star linebacker Nile Sykes, a close friend of Morgan's, committed to the Irish Dec. 15. The two always had interest in playing together at the collegiate level, but Notre Dame is the only school to have offered both prospects. This only furthers the idea that both Sykes and Morgan will end up playing together in South Bend. 247Sports lists Morgan as the No. 2 player in Illinois, the No. 4 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 55 overall prospect in the nation. • Notre Dame is hoping to flip four-star wide receiver and Iowa State commit Allen Lazard at some point prior to National Signing Day. The Urbandale, Iowa, native has been committed to the Cyclones since Dec. 3, 2012, and has strong family ties to the program. Lazard's older brother is a sophomore walk-on linebacker with the Cyclones, his father played for Iowa State in the early '90s and his mother went to school there as well. Unless there is a coaching change in Ames, look for the 6-4, 210-pounder to stick with his commitment. 247Sports ranks Lazard as the No. 64 overall recruit in the nation, the No. 6 wide receiver in the country and the No. 1 prospect in Iowa. • The Irish coaching staff has done very well in Texas over the past few years and is hoping that trend continues with Coppell, Texas, five-star defensive end Solomon Thomas. The 6-3, 256-pound recruit is looking heavily at Notre Dame, Ohio State and Stanford, and a decision isn't expected to occur until National Signing Day. Thomas attempted to set an official visit to South Bend in December, however it was during the contact period and all of the coaches were away from campus on the recruiting trail. Thomas has scheduled official visits to Arkansas, Ohio State, Stanford and UCLA, and the Notre Dame staff is hoping that they can grab the fifth and final one.