Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES Grenada (Miss.) High three-star 2017 safety CJ Avery hasn't visited Notre Dame to this point. But, that didn't stop the 6-0, 200-pounder from listing the Irish in his top 10 last month, along with Alabama, Au- burn, California, Clemson, Louis- ville, Michigan, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Ten- nessee. Av e r y s a i d his top 10 hasn't changed since he released it in June and that he has no leader with all of the schools "probably on the same level." With a busy schedule and early grad- uation, Avery is unsure of his potential plan for official visit in the fall. If he is able to take official visits, though, chances are Notre Dame will receive one. "It's pretty high," Avery said about the possibility of taking a trip to South Bend. "It's a good school. I love Coach [Todd] Lyght, the defensive backs coach. He's come a couple of times to see me in school and that shows that they're really interested in me. I like them." Lyght has been pitching Notre Dame's ability to provide a promising future on and off the field to Avery. "Coach Lyght was just showing me the education part," Avery said. "They give you a promising degree that can take you really far in life, and they de- velop you as a player. "When he came to my school he showed me a lot about the numbers and going to the NFL. He was just showing me how Notre Dame devel- ops players to be ready for the NFL." Like many oth- ers, Avery is aware of Lyght's pedigree and background, which captured the interest of the Mis- sissippi native. "We have a pretty good relation- ship," Avery said of Lyght. "He's a great person. Him playing in the NFL made me like him a lot more. He knows what it takes to get to the NFL." Being from Mississippi, Avery will likely be pressured to stay in his home state. But when asked if there is a major draw to stay close to home, he said: "I'm okay with going out of state." Avery said he will likely be making his decision after his senior season, sometime in December. He described himself as a versatile safety that can play in the box against the run or cover. — Corey Bodden Mississippi Safety Intrigued By Notre Dame's Pitch CJ AVERY ✪ ✪ ✪ Grenada Grenada, Miss. Status: Offered Class: 2017 Position: Safety Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 200 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 28 safety in the nation.