Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES Take one look at Jalen Hall and you wouldn't think he's in high school. At 6-3, 182 pounds he has the size — and frame — to play at the next level, and that's why he re- cently became of- fer No. 1 for Notre Dame in the class of 2018. Hall took an un- official visit to cam- pus with his seven- on-seven team, B2G 5-star, April 24. He arrived not knowing a thing about the Irish, but left with a scholarship offer. "That was big," Hall said, looking back on the trip. "The fact that I was the first freshman to get offered let me know that they were taking notice of what I'm doing." And Hall's right, Notre Dame is well aware of his skillset, and there's a reason why he became the first target in 2018: The Irish are trying to get ahead. After spending much of the past few recruiting cycles missing out on high- profile targets from the Southern Cali- fornia area, the coaching staff is looking to make contact with prospects much earlier in the process. That means getting involved before decisions are made and favorites are set. Irish associate head coach Mike Den- brock wasted no time on his first day in Los Angeles during the spring evalu- ation period. The Notre Dame coach drove straight from the airport to Au- gustus Hawkins High School to watch Hall and his teammates work out. While NCAA guidelines didn't allow for Denbrock to speak with Hall and a number of other high-profile underclassmen in person, his presence was felt even from the sidelines. "They came down here to just let me know that they want me to go there," Hall said. "That's big. They said they will do some big things with me and make me an even bigger receiver when I get there. I enjoyed going down there for a visit, and I'm feeling good with this whole recruiting thing about Notre Dame." Hall will have plenty of opportunities to visit local schools like USC and UCLA over the course of the next few years, but the Irish staff wants him to know that there is a place for him in South Bend. "I loved it," Hall said about his time on campus. "The food was good; the coaching staff was cool. I met some of the players … and I just like the whole intensity up there." — Andrew Ivins Elite 2018 WR Visits South Bend And Leaves With Offer JALEN HALL Augustus Hawkins H.S. Los Angeles Status: Offered Class: 2018 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 182 40-Yard Dash: 4.5 Rivals.com Rankings: Currently unrated