Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES Notre Dame has yet to offer an of- fensive lineman in the class of 2018, but once the offers start going out it's safe to say that Indianapolis Cathedral guard Emil Ekiyor will be in line to land one. On Feb. 13 at the Best of the Midwest Combine outside of Indianapolis, Eki- yor said that he had p l e n t y o f c o n t a c t with Irish offensive line coach Harry Hi- estand and recruit- ing coordinator Mike Elston the past few months, and the two coaches have made it clear where the sophomore stands on the board. "They were saying that if they had a list for 2018 O-linemen, I would be at the top of that list," Ekiyor said with a grin. "They just want to take the pro- cess a little bit slow before they offer, because they haven't finished with the 2017 class yet." The 6-4, 315-pound guard already holds bids from Tennessee, Michi- gan, Oklahoma, Missouri, Geor- gia and Kentucky, and said that the out-of-state Volunteers are a school that stands out right now. Still, while Tennessee might be the leader in the clubhouse, Ekiyor admits that he has plenty of interest in the Irish at this stage in his recruitment. "I really like Notre Dame. It's a great school and a great program," he said. "There's great tradition. It's just an amazing place." Elston was at Cathedral in late Janu- ary during the win- ter contact period to check up on a num- ber of prospects. Eki- yor said it was a visit that didn't go unno- ticed. " I h a v e b u i l t a pretty solid relation- ship with [Elston and Hiestand]," Eki- yor said. "I talked to them a lot, and they have been by my school." Ekiyor doesn't have any immediate plans to get to South Bend for a visit, but said that he has been invited to the Junior Day on March 19 and the Irish Invasion camp in June. "I'll probably be at the Invasion," he said. Ekiyor's father, Emil Ekiyor Sr., was a standout defensive lineman at Cen- tral Florida and played four seasons in the NFL. As of Feb. 25, Notre Dame had pub- lic offers out to just three players in the class of 2018 — quarterback Phil Jurk- ovec, and wide receivers Jalen Hall and Amon-Ra St. Brown. — Andrew Ivins In-State Guard Could Be First OL Offer In 2018 EMIL EKIYOR Cathedral High School Indianapolis Status: Evaluating Class: 2018 Position: Offensive Guard Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 315 40-Yard Dash: 5.2 Rivals Rankings: Currently unrated