Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/669106
FOOTBALL RECRUITING nior Day and likes the academic package Stanford provides. There's a chance he'll leave Notre Dame with the similar thoughts about the Irish, but there's plenty of work left on the table for Hiestand & Co. heading into the spring evaluation period. TREY SMITH JACKSON (TENN.) UNIVERSITY SCHOOL RANKINGS: Listed by Rivals as a four-star pros- pect, the No. 11 player in Tennessee and the No. 32 offensive tackle in the land. CONTENDERS: Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, Tennessee and Ole Miss. T H E L AT EST: Out of all the prospects on the board, Smith might be the best fit at Notre Dame both on and off the field, but the Irish still have to con- vince him of that. The 6-4, 270-pound tackle was in South Bend the weekend of April 2 to watch spring practice and left campus with high remarks for the Irish, although he explained that the plan is to check out some SEC schools before making a decision sometime in December or January. "I really want to get back to Notre Dame," Smith said. "I might have to wait to the season to take an official visit because I'm an early enrollee, but there's an opportunity there and there's no doubt I could see myself there." Clemson appears to be the biggest competition for Smith, but even Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is making the future left tackle a priority. ANDREW THOMAS ATLANTA PACE ACADEMY RANKINGS: Rated as a four-star recruit, the No. 10 player in Georgia, and the No. 10 offensive tackle and No. 67 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals. CONTENDERS: Clemson, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. T H E L AT E S T: Thomas was in South Bend March 21 for Notre Dame's mega Junior Day weekend. He called his first trip to Notre Dame an eye-opening experience, but it's unclear if that will be enough to pull him away from Georgia and Clemson — two schools that he named his leaders in early April. "They have a good mix of aca- demics and athletics," Thomas said of Notre Dame. "The coaches just said that I fit the program be- cause the school I go to now, Pace Academy, is like Notre Dame. It's a small, high academic school with good athletics." The 6-5, 285-pound Thomas is a candidate to re- turn to campus this summer for the Irish Invasion in June, but return trips to Clemson and Georgia are expected to happen as well. JEDRICK WILLS LEXINGTON (KY.) LAFAYETTE RANKINGS: Tabbed by Rivals as a five-star tal- ent, the No. 1 prospect in Kentucky, and the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 15 overall recruit in the country. CONTENDERS: Kentucky, Ala- bama, Tennessee and Michigan. THE LATEST: Wills has long been a target and priority for Hiestand. He camped at Notre Dame last summer for the Irish Invasion and was set to return in January for another visit, but an ice storm kept him and his family off the roads. He said in early April that he has no set travel plans, but the Irish are expected to receive the next visit from the 6-4, 310-pound lineman. "I'm trying to get back there," Wills said. "I'm not sure when, but it will probably be my next visit. Coach Hiestand definitely has helped me and gave me some great tips." Wills has been a frequent visitor at Kentucky — the local school — and the Wildcats are considered a dark horse in the recruitment. ✦