Blue and Gold Illustrated

FOOTBALL RECRUITING vertical jump at the same event. Rankings: Rated as a three‑star recruit, the No. 15 player in Virginia and the No. 39 safety in the country by Rivals … 247Sports lists him as the No. 12 recruit in his home state and the No. 26 athlete in the land. Statistics/Honors: Named a first‑team all‑metro player after leading L.C. Bird to a 14‑2 record and the 5A state championship … Spent most of his time at quarterback, racking up 2,007 yards of offense and 31 touchdowns … His excellent play earned him first‑ team all‑state accolades as an all‑purpose player. Recruitment: Being from Virginia and having a father who played for Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech made him seem like a lock for the Hokies, but once Notre Dame defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder watched him work out, the L.C. Bird athlete immedi‑ ately became a top priority for the Irish staff … Notre Dame convinced him to make a trip to South Bend for the Irish Invasion in June … Elliott quickly became enamored with Notre Dame, and he committed dur‑ ing that visit over Auburn, Georgia and Virginia Tech. BGI's Take: Landing Elliott was a tremendously im‑ portant pickup for Notre Dame. He has made a name for himself as a quarterback, which keeps him from being evaluated specifically at the position he will play in college and thus keeps his ranking down a bit. He possesses good overall athleticism and has decent size, but what makes him such a special prospect are his intangibles. He has top‑notch instincts, is a high‑IQ football player, and has a knack for making plays and winning football games. Athletically, he shows good speed and range thanks to his loose hips and impressive foot quick‑ ness, which will translate nicely to the secondary. He has the athletic skills to play cornerback as well as range and toughness to play free safety. Landing an athlete with his versatility is extremely beneficial to Notre Dame. SPENCER PERRY Auburn, Ala. (IMG Academy [Bradenton, Fla.]) Measurables: Rivals lists him at 6‑3 and 202 pounds. Rankings: Ranked as a four‑star prospect, the No. 69 player in Florida and the No. 31 safety in the country by ESPN. Statistics/Honors: As a junior, racked up 34 tackles and four interceptions … Transferred to IMG Acad‑ emy prior to his senior year. Recruitment: Has racked up an impressive offer list, garnering scholarships from Auburn, Arizona, Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame, among others … Committed to the Gators in March, but continued talking with the Irish staff … Visited Notre Dame for the Irish In‑ vasion in June and decommitted from Florida within days of that trip … A week later, went public with a commitment to Notre Dame. BGI's Take: Perry has excellent size with a thick frame that could allow him to grow into a 4‑3 line‑ backer. In the Irish defense he is an ideal fit for the strong safety and nickel positions. He gets down‑ hill with authority and looks more comfortable the closer he gets to the line of scrimmage. He will have to work on keeping a better base and playing lower when he is about to engage, but he hits with authority. He shows good speed and range. He is able to flip his hips relatively well on the back end, but struggles in man coverage. When in the box, he is able to plant his back foot and quickly drive on the football. At times his footwork can get out of whack, which slows down his transitions, something he will need to work on moving forward. He shows decent route recogni‑ tion, but likely won't ever be a ball‑hawking safety. TOP TARGETS JORDAN FULLER Old Tappan, N.J. (Old Tappan High School) Measurables: Measured in at 6‑1½ and 205 pounds at The Opening regional in Oakland, Calif. … Was timed at 4.51 in the 40‑yard dash … At The Opening Finals in Beaverton, Ore., he posted a verti‑ cal leap of 34.4 inches. Rankings: A consensus four‑star recruit … 247Sports ranks him as the No. 2 player in New Jersey, and the No. 6 athlete and No. 87 overall pros‑ pect in the country … Listed as the No. 3 recruit in his

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