Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/605097
FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY ANDREW IVINS W ith National Signing Day (Feb. 3) just more than two months away, Notre Dame's recruiting class in large part could be considered a success. As of Nov. 19, the Irish held 18 commit- ments from prospects around the coun- try. T h e y h a v e a t o p - flight defensive lineman pledged to the class in Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison four-star end Khalid Kareem. They have one of the nation's top offensive line hauls with Cincin- nati Elder four-star tackle Tommy Kraemer, Or- lando (Fla.) Bishop Moore four-star guard Parker Boudreaux and Cleve- land St. Ignatius three- star tackle Liam Eichen- berg all committed. Then there's a dynamic athlete in Ca- nadian four-star wide receiver Chase Claypool, and a stable of defensive backs headlined by Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco four-star safety D.J. Mor- gan. But if Notre Dame wants to finish with a top-10 class this cycle, it will come down to how it closes in Los An- geles — a city where the Irish have had modest success over the years. Since 2010, Notre Dame has signed seven prospects out of the greater Los Angeles area. While there have been some notable additions to the roster with prospects like safety five-star safety Max Redfield and three-star tight end Tyler Luatua — who both now start for the Irish — there have also been a number of misses. The Irish have hosted three top targets from Los Angeles on official visits this cycle and have posi- tioned themselves to land a commitment from each one down the stretch. The group is lead by Corona (Calif.) Centennial four-star wide receiver Javon McKinley, who has visited South Bend three times since the end March. The coaches view McKinley as the type of player that can change a game, and a Nov. 6 tweet from offensive coordinator Mike Sanford suggests just that, although NCAA rules prohibit him from speaking directly about a prospec- tive student-athlete. After McKinley returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns and caught six passes for 174 yards and a score in a win, Sanford tweeted, "#951" — which happens to be McKinley's area code. It was gesture that didn't go unno- ticed, with McKinley's mother instantly Los Angeles Is The Final Battle For Irish C o r o n a ( C a l i f . ) C e n t e n n i a l standout Javon McKinley, who is ranked as the No. 18 wide receiver and No. 96 overall pros- pect in the country, remains a top target for Notre Dame. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS