Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING the process of building relationships. That's what recruiting is — it's about relationships. I think we have done a real nice job with that." While there's no question that Elston and his troops have developed a re- cruiting board, there are still a few posi- tions of need. The Irish would like to add two more safeties to the class and need to take at least two linebackers. The coaches would also like to sign another defen- sive end. "In an ideal situation, you'd love to be further along than where we are, but understanding where we've been I think we're sitting pretty good," Elston said. "We've got a lot of really good players that are going to be coming on campus this fall, and our gameday atmosphere is going to be very good for them to see." Elston noted that he doesn't have a target number for the size of the class, but based on roster projections and expected attrition the Irish will likely take anywhere from 22-24 prospects this cycle. If Elston and his assistant coaches are able to land a majority of the targets listed below, this cycle's recruiting haul should be considered a success. SAFETY Notre Dame already holds com- mitments from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy three-star safety Spencer Perry and Chesterfield (Va.) Lloyd C. Bird three-star safety Jalen Elliott. However, just because those two are in the fold doesn't mean the Irish are done recruiting the position. Notre Dame will lose Elijah Shu- mate, Avery Sebastian and Matthias Farley to graduation at the end of this season. Combine that with the fact that junior Max Redfield is a viable candidate to leave early for the NFL, and the Irish will need more than just Perry and Elliott to restock the defen- sive backfield. Notre Dame hosted Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) High three-star athlete Devin Studstill for the Irish Invasion in June, and he remains the top target for the staff at safety. "Notre Dame said that they really want me and that they like my smooth hips and how I transition in the sec- ondary," Studstill said after the camp. "I would say that they are up there in my recruitment." The 6-1, 183-pound Studstill is ranked by Rivals as the No. 51 pros- pect in Florida and the No. 48 athlete in the country. He said that the plan isn't to make a decision anytime soon, and the same can be said about Old Tappan (N.J.) High four-star athlete Jordan Fuller, who was also in South Bend over the summer. Fuller was on campus for an unof- ficial visit in late July and left with the Irish near the top of his list. "The highlights were definitely the weight of the degree and the gradu- ation rate," Fuller said. "The coaches on the defensive side have all coached in the NFL, which is attractive because that's where I want to go one day." The 6-2, 190-pound Fuller is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in New Jersey and the No. 19 athlete in the country. He has been selected to play in in the