Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY BRYAN DRISKELL T he Irish are focused on adding a power running back, several line- men and dynamic playmakers on of- fense during this recruiting cycle. The following is a look at the top running back and offensive line prospects, including commitments, on Notre Dame's recruiting board, in the opin- ion of Blue & Gold Illustrated. RUNNING BACKS ELIJAH HOLYFIELD College Park, Ga. • Woodward Academy Measurables: Listed at 5-10 and 195 pounds. Rankings: Consensus four-star running back … Ranked as the No. 155 player in the nation by ESPNU and No. 198 in the country by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 5 running back in the land by Rivals.com and No. 11 by ESPNU. Statistics/Honors: Carried the ball 264 times for 1,735 yards (6.6 yards per rush) and 25 touch- downs as a junior … Hauled in 27 passes for 289 yards … Scored 31 total touchdowns … Named to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution Georgia AAAA first-team all-state squad. Re c r u i t m e nt : V i s i te d N o t re D a m e fo r i t s March 21 Junior Day … Said he plans to return to South Bend for an official visit in the fall … Claims to be wide open, but schools like Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee and USC are in the mix, along with Notre Dame and other SEC programs. BGI's Take: Holyfield is the son of former heavy- weight boxing world champion Evander Holyfield. As one would expect of the son of a boxing cham- pion, Holyfield's two best physical attributes are his toughness and balance. He runs the football with authority, playing with good pad level and using a strong leg drive to plow through contact. His balance and toughness allow him to bounce of defenders without losing speed. With his run- ning style and low-built frame, Holyfield projects as a strong between-the-tackles chain mover with potential to develop into a big-play back. He lacks elusiveness in space, showing some hip stiffness and a lack of elite agility. What Holyfield does well is staying light on his feet and using an effective one-cut running style to gash teams on the perim- eter. Once he gets in space defensive backs have a hard time handling his power. He has experience Big Board: Running Backs And Offensive Linemen College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy product Elijah Holyfield — the son of former heavyweight boxing world champion Evander Holyfield — is rated as the nation's No. 5 running back by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM