Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/601719
FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP RIVALS 2016 TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS As of Nov. 13 1. LSU 19 2. Ohio State 18 3. Florida State 18 4. Ole Miss 19 5. Michigan 22 6. Alabama 18 7. Georgia 17 8. Stanford 19 9. Penn State 19 10. UCLA 20 16. Notre Dame 17 Rk. School Commits Rk. School Commits Recruiting Notes • Notre Dame has gone all-in on Pittsburgh Cen- tral Catholic cornerback Damar Hamlin. At least the Irish's recent actions reflect that. On the eve of Notre Dame's bout with Pittsburgh Nov. 7, the Irish sent five coaches — including head coach Brian Kelly — to Central Catholic to watch the four-star prospect play in the opening round of the state playoffs. It was a display that didn't go unnoticed. "I felt like they actually cared," Hamlin said when asked what he thought of Kelly and the other coaches being on the sidelines. "They actually want to come out to see me, so that was big." Hamlin, who is ranked as the No. 8 safety in the country, took an official visit to Notre Dame in mid- October to watch the Irish host USC. In the days after the trip, he put Notre Dame in his top four along with Pittsburgh, Penn State and Ohio State. While he said much hasn't changed with his recruitment, he claims that he isn't favoring the hometown Panthers, although Internet rumors suggest otherwise. "I have a real good feeling about Pitt, and I feel like they're in a good position with me, too," he said, "But I'm not locked anywhere right now." Which is good news for the Irish, who are look- ing to add at least one more defensive back to the class. The 6-1, 179-pound Hamlin added that there's a chance he could return to South Bend for an unof- ficial visit before making a decision. He's ranked by Rivals as the No. 4 recruit in Pennsylvania and the No. 132 overall prospect in the country. • Hamlin isn't the only defensive back that Notre Dame appears to be trending up with. Greer (S.C.) Pittsburgh Central Catholic four-star corner- back Damar Hamlin has Notre Dame in his top four, along with Ohio State, Penn State and Pittsburgh. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS