Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP Recruiting Notes • Notre Dame isn't done with this year's recruiting class, but that doesn't mean the Irish aren't trying to get ahead when it comes to the next recruiting cycle. Notre Dame is expected to host the program's first Junior Day of the year on Jan. 23, and a number of top 2017 prospects could make their way to campus. Ann Arbor (Mich.) Pioneer four-star linebacker Antjuan Simmons said in early December, that he had been invited to the event, and that he is in the process of making plans to be in South Bend. "It was special," he said when asked about his last trip to campus for the UMass game Sept. 26. "My mom loves the coaching staff, and she loves the environment. It's not too crazy, but it's just enough to kind of open your eyes." While the 6-1, 199-pound Simmons, who is ranked by Rivals as the No. 12 outside linebacker in the country and the nation's No. 183 overall recruit, would certainly be a headliner for the one-day invite-only event, he's not the lone top target considering making the trip. Jackson (Tenn.) University School four-star offensive tackle Trey Smith said he's in the process of making plans after picking up an offer from the Irish Dec. 8. The same can be said about Lexington (Ky.) Lafayette five-star offensive tackle Jedrick Wills. The 6-4, 270-pound Smith is ranked by Rivals as the No. 10 prospect in Tennessee and the No. 28 of- fensive tackle in the country. Wills is listed at 6-4, 316 pounds and is regarded as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 15 overall prospect nationally. Last cycle, the Irish hosted more than 20 recruits for a Junior Day on March 21 and picked up commit- ments that weekend from four-star cornerback Julian Love, three-star running back Tony Jones and two- star long snapper John Shannon. Khalid Kareem — a four-star defensive end that flipped from Alabama and recently signed with the Irish — was also on campus. Notre Dame's men's basketball hosts Boston College Jan. 23 at noon. • Detroit Martin Luther King four-star wide receiver Donnie Corley has been linked on and off to Notre Dame the past two years. The Irish hosted the Rivals100 wide receiver for an unofficial visit the weekend of Sept. 5, but after that the contact seemed to die. That's not the case anymore. Notre Dame made a push right before the winter dead period to get Corley on campus, and it looks like an official visit could happen in January, although Michigan State, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas and Miami all remain in the mix. "I am not 100 percent ready to make a decision," Corley told Rivals on Dec. 21. The 6-2, 187-pound Corley is ranked as the No. 14 wide receiver and the No. 70 overall recruit in the nation. — Andrew Ivins Follow @BGI_aivins on Twitter for daily recruiting updates available on BlueandGold.com! MOVING? Let our customer service department know your new address! Call us at 1-800-421-7751 or email gevans@comanpub.com