Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES One of the nation's top sophomores got his first look at Notre Dame the weekend of Oct. 10. Shelby (N.C.) High inside linebacker Dax Hollifield was in town for the Fighting Irish bout with Navy, and he said it was everything he expected, and more. "It was awesome," Hollifield said. "I got to talk to [Irish re- cruiting coordinator and linebackers coach Mike] Elston, and that was the first time that I had really met anyone from Notre Dame and talked to them. It was nice getting to talk to him and the rest of the staff. They're all really friendly, and I like them a lot." Hollifield — who holds early offers from Clemson, North Carolina State, Duke and North Carolina — said he was invited by Notre Dame a few weeks before the game, and the chance to take an unofficial visit to South Bend was something that he and his family couldn't pass up. The linebacker, who was named a 2014 MaxPreps Freshman All-Ameri- can, traveled to campus with his father and was able to see the game-day envi- ronment up close and in person. "Notre Dame, Clemson and Tennes- see are probably the best atmospheres that I have seen," Hollifield said. "The history there is just like no other. The all-around experience I had was some- thing else." While Notre Dame didn't offer the class of 2018 prospect a scholarship, he figured to be a name that's in the mix down the line. H e s a i d E l s t o n talked a little about the defensive schemes during the visit, and he got to see them first- hand against Navy. "I thought they did great, especially after that first drive," Holli- field said. "No. 9, Jaylon Smith, he's the best linebacker in the country, I think. He made play after play, and I thought they defended the triple option very well." Hollifield claims that he has no lead- ers at the moment in his recruitment, but that a few schools are starting to stick out. "I like Tennessee and Georgia because they're really three hours away," he said. "I don't really think I want to go far away, but I like the Midwest schools. "I like Notre Dame a lot," he added. "It seems like a great place to play foot- ball." The 6-1, 215-pound Hollifield re- corded 112 tackles and six sacks as a freshman at Shelby. — Andrew Ivins Top 2018 Linebacker Sees Notre Dame DAX HOLLIFIELD Shelby High School Shelby, N.C. Status: Evaluating Class: 2018 Position: Linebacker Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 215 40-Yard Dash: 4.65 R i va l s R a n k i n g s : Currently unrated