Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING up wide and lined up against corner- backs." 247Sports ranks Boykin as the No. 193 overall recruit in the land, the No. 22 wide receiver in the country and the No. 2 prospect in Illinois. Junior Day marked the second visit to South Bend for Cincinnati Arch- bishop Moeller defensive tackle Elijah Taylor. The 6-3, 275-pound prospect first visited Notre Dame when the Irish took on USC Oct. 19. During that visit, Taylor picked up an offer from Kelly and called it "a big deal" for him and his family. "It was a really special moment for me," Taylor said. "I'm still open to schools, but right now Notre Dame is very high on my list." Trip No. 2 was an opportunity for Taylor to get acclimated with the coaching staff and get a better feel for what life would be like as a Notre Dame student-athlete. "I really enjoyed the visit," Tay- lor said. "I got to see the campus, meet some students and recruits and coaches, and I was told all about the history of the school. I also got a chance to meet some academic teach- ers and advisors. "This place is beautiful, and you can just tell that everyone enjoys them- selves up there. Everyone seems in a good mood, even when it's snowing out and really cold. I deal with that stuff all the time, and I'm never that happy when it's this cold. That defi- nitely impressed me." Elston is Taylor's primary recruiter, and the two have a great relationship. And, like Hilliard, Taylor left very im- pressed with VanGorder after the two finally met. "Coach VanGorder is impressive," Taylor mentioned. "This was more just getting to introduce myself to him. I didn't talk to him a lot. He really does have a great résumé, though." Taylor 's time on campus included some one-on-one conversation with Kelly. The two spoke in depth about his plans to make a final decision. "Coach Kelly didn't rush me, and he wants me to make a good decision for me and my future," Taylor said. "I ap- preciated that a lot. It showed that he actually cares. That's not always like the other coaches." Along with Notre Dame, Taylor 's list of offers includes Cincinnati, Duke, Illinois, Louisville, Maryland, Michi- gan State and West Virginia. 247Sports ranks Taylor as the No. 20 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 11 prospect in Ohio. ✦ 247Sports ranks Elijah Taylor of Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller as the No. 15 prospect in Ohio and the No. 20 defensive tackle in the country. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS