Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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34 DECEMBER 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY COREY BODDEN AND DAVID MCKINNEY N otre Dame concluded its 2016 home schedule Nov. 19, but that doesn't mean it is done hosting talented prospects from across the country. Each year the program recognizes the best from the regular season dur- ing its Echoes Awards Show in De- cember. That weekend provides the staff the perfect chance to showcase the Irish program in a positive way in a fun-filled environment. This year, the Irish will be welcom- ing many of its 2017 commitments on official visits for the Dec. 9 event. Their presence could prove vital in Notre Dame's efforts to recruit a Ri- vals250 defensive end that will also be on hand that weekend. The following are brief bios of the expected official visitors for the weekend. JOSHUA PASCHAL • DE Official Visit (2017 Target) OLNEY (MD.) GOOD COUNSEL Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 8 strongside defensive end and No. 232 overall player na- tionally. The Skinny: Notre Dame is in the top group for Paschal, battling Oklahoma, Ohio State, Maryland and Kentucky. Defensive line coach Keith Gilmore is the lead recruiter for Pas- chal, and his track record for devel- oping talent is one reason the Irish remain in the race. With the visit set up, Notre Dame may be the team to beat in the long run for the four-star defensive end. BROCK WRIGHT • TE Official Visit (2017 Commitment) CYPRESS (TEXAS) CY-FAIR Rivals Rankings: Four-star pros- pect, and the No. 1 tight end and No. 50 overall recruit in the country. The Skinny: Wright was the sec- ond member of the class, joining in June 2015 shortly after the Irish Inva- sion. He selected the Irish over offers from Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Okla- homa and several others. He has maintained his pledge to Notre Dame since his commitment and took an unofficial during the Michigan State game Sept. 17. He fin- ished his senior year with 30 recep- tions for 491 yards and four touch- downs, and is set to enroll early and become an official member of the Irish program in January. COLE KMET • TE Official Visit (2017 Commitment) ARLINGTON HEIGHTS (ILL.) ST. VIATOR Rivals Rankings: Four-star recruit, and the No. 3 tight end and No. 89 overall player in the nation. The Skinny: In October 2015, Kmet joined the 2017 class over offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and others. He also hasn't wavered in his commitment to the Irish. After a battle with mono early in the year, he returned for the final eight games and caught 48 passes for 754 yards and four touchdowns. He also took an unofficial visit for the Michigan State game. ISAIAH ROBERTSON • ATH Official Visit (2017 Commitment) NAPERVILLE (ILL.) NEUQUA VALLEY Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 17 athlete and No. 190 overall prospect in the land. The Skinny: Robertson committed to the Irish in April over offers from Penn State, Wisconsin and Vander- bilt, among others. Notre Dame is recruiting him as a free safety, but he could also end up at wide receiver if a move is necessary down the line. He took an unofficial for the Stanford game Oct. 15 and is also a potential early enrollee. JONATHON MACCOLLISTER • DE Official Visit (2017 Commitment) ORLANDO (FLA.) BISHOP MOORE Rivals Rankings: Three-star pros- pect. The Skinny: MacCollister com- mitted to Notre Dame during his visit for Irish Invasion this past June, selecting the Irish over offers from Clemson, Ohio State, Auburn and Miami. This will be his first trip to South Bend since his commitment, but he remains firm in his pledge. There are also a number of Notre Dame commits that are still in the midst of playoff runs with their high school teams. Several of them told Blue & Gold Illustrated that they will visit for the Echoes Awards weekend, but only if their prep seasons have ended by that point. Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas three-star linebacker Drew White said he will be in South Bend unless his team makes it to the state championship, which takes place the same weekend as the Echoes Awards Show. The situation is the same for the pair of commits from Pittsburgh Cen- tral Catholic, linebacker David Ad- ams and defensive tackle Kurt Hin- ish. Central Catholic is a favorite to advance to the Pennsylvania 6A state title game, which would be played on the weekend of Dec. 9-10. Three-star Cedar Hill (Texas) High quarterback Avery Davis would be in a semifinal matchup that week- end, should Cedar Hill continue their winning ways. Four-star Norfolk (Va.) Lake Taylor defensive tackle Darnell Ewell would also be playing in a state championship that week- end should his team keep winning. Remaining commits who have yet to take official visits include: In- dianapolis Cathedral four-star line- backer Pete Werner, Wexford (Pa.) North Allegheny four-star offensive tackle Josh Lugg and Clearwater (Fla.) Central Catholic three-star of- fensive tackle Dillan Gibbons. ✦ Irish Set To Host Recruits At The Echoes Awards Show Olney (Md.) Good Counsel four-star defensive end Josh Paschal is high on Notre Dame and will visit for the Echoes Awards Show Dec. 9. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM