Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP Recruiting Notes • Notre Dame hosted a majority of its top recruiting targets for the Junior Day March 19. However, just because the Irish placed an early emphasis on getting kids on campus that weekend, didn't mean that the stands were bare for the annual Blue-Gold Game. The Irish welcomed a handful of prospects to campus for the scrimmage inside Notre Dame Stadium and the initial reviews were more than just positive. "I feel like Notre Dame has one of the best coaching staffs around," Stafford (Texas) High four-star wide receiver and Baylor commit Hezekiah Jones said. "From what they were telling me, and from what I saw, I feel like I could be very successful at Notre Dame. The game was awesome. "I really just like all the coaches. They just said that they think I have the potential to play like Will Fuller and on the inside or the outside at receiver." The 5-11, 193-pound Jones, who is ranked by Rivals as the nation's No. 14 wide receiver and No. 109 overall prospect, was a late addition to the visitors' list. He arrived on campus without an offer from the Irish, but left as a top target for head coach Brian Kelly after he met with the coaching staff. "It's a great place," Jones said. "What really caught me eye is what you can do with a degree from there … I most definitely want to get back in December [for an official visit] or for a game." While Jones might have been the surprise visitor for the weekend, he wasn't the only priority for the staff. Also on hand for the spring game was Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy five-star defensive end Josh Kaindoh and a pair of teammates from Detroit Cass Tech — five-star wide receiver Donovan Peoples- Jones and three-star safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell. Kaindoh, who is listed by Rivals as the nation's top defensive end and No. 4 overall prospect, is con- sidered by many in the recruiting industry to be a Maryland lean, but the Irish did what they could to sell the 6-6, 256-pound pass rusher on what Notre Dame is all about during his first visit to South Bend. That wasn't the case with Peoples-Jones and Kelly-Powell. The duo returned to campus after visiting for a Junior Day in January. While the Irish gave them the usual pitch about athletics and academics like they did with Kaindoh, Kelly went out of his way to personalize the visit when he took the two on a golf cart ride around campus. "It was great," said Kelly-Powell, who is ranked as the nation's No. 24 safety by Rivals. "To get to talk with a head coach like that and even to go on a tour like that with a head coach is unique. That doesn't always happen. "We got to see the stadium and how they are adding on to it. He was just describing all of it and the future, which was pretty amazing. He also talked networking and academics, and what a degree from Notre Dame means." "We both enjoyed it," Kelly-Powell added. "Just having a chance to talk with Coach Kelly — it's different in person than when it's over the phone. You're just being real with each other." The 6-0, 180-pound Kelly-Powell is also considering Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. The 6-1, 188-pound Peoples-Jones is ranked by Rivals as the nation's No. 2 wide receiver and No. 13 overall pros- pect. He has the Irish in his top group of schools along with Ohio State, Michigan, Florida and Tennessee. • With Cedar Hill (Texas) High three-star quarterback Avery Davis committed to the Irish, offensive coordinator Mike Sanford has already started to shift his focus to the next wave of quarterbacks, and it's safe to say that he has his sights set on his top target in 2018. Sanford has made Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-