Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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48 MARCH 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY BRYAN DRISKELL Notre Dame makes a living going toe-to-toe for skill players against power programs from the South- eastern Conference. The issue for the Fighting Irish coaches is that in re- cent seasons, it has not won enough of those battles. One of the battles it won hap- pened in July, when Cheshire (Conn.) Academy running back C.J. Holmes picked Notre Dame over SEC powers Alabama and Tennessee, as well as Michigan and Penn State. Holmes made his announcement through a Bleacher Report video in which he fished a Tennessee jersey and an Alabama helmet out of a river, only to throw them back. The video ended with Holmes reeling in a Leprechaun who handed him a Notre Dame hat. It was unique, but that is Holmes. He is not like most high-profile skill players, and that unique personal- ity can be traced back to his parents. C.J. HOLMES RUNNING BACK 6-0 · 200 CHESHIRE ACADEMY HAMDEN, CONN. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 203 5 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 286 21 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 40 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 155 9 2 STATISTICS • As a senior, rushed for 1,169 yards (8.2 per attempt) and 13 touchdowns on 142 car- ries, while leading Cheshire Academy to an 8-2 record. • Rushed for at least 100 yards in six of his nine games played last fall. HONORS • Named to the 2016 All-USA Connecticut first team by USA Today. • Selected to the New England Preparatory Schools Athletic Council Class A All-New England Team as a junior and senior. • Rated as the No. 243 overall player and No. 29 defensive back nationally by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report. • Listed as a four-star member of the PrepStar Top 350 Dream Team, ranked as the No. 341 over- all prospect and No. 25 athlete in the land. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Selected to participate in the 2016 Nike The Opening in Beaverton, Ore. • Participated in the Rivals Camp Series at New Jersey in February 2016. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on July 8, 2016, over offers from Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee and UCLA, among others. • Pledged to the Notre Dame staff two days after competing at Irish Invasion in June, but did not go public until July 8. • Visited campus officially for the Nevada game (Sept. 10) during the season and took an unofficial visit over the weekend of Notre Dame's postsea- son awards banquet (Dec. 9-11). • Primarily recruited by former tight ends coach Scott Booker and running backs coach Autry Denson. NOTABLE • Born May 20, 1998. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January 2017. • Intends to major in business, with an emphasis on film and television. • Also was a member of the Cheshire Academy track and field team. At the New England Division III Championships on May 21, 2016, he placed second (behind only 2017 four-star running back AJ Dillon, who is going to Boston College) in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.78 seconds and was part of the first-place 4x100-meter relay (42.78 seconds). • His mother, Dawn, was a five-time All-Ameri- can triple jumper at Southern Connecticut State. • His father, Craig, also ran track at Southern Connecticut State before joining the Army. 2017 PROJECTION • Although a redshirt is possible, Holmes has the versatility and athleticism that could result in a special teams role. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "Versatility I think is what comes to mind. I look at him as a guy like a Theo Riddick, C.J. Prosise. He's going to play both running back and wide receiver for us. We think we have a nice package for him right away. "We're going to ask him to compete right away. He's going to be one of those guys that we're going to force feed him a little bit and get him involved." Running backs coach Autry Denson: "C.J.'s ver- satility [stands out], along with his ability and his desire to compete. We were blessed to have him here for Irish Invasion and we had a lot of good players here and he was head and shoulders above them all from a competition standpoint and a ver- satility standpoint. Any time you can get a guy that complete with that skill set, but also has the work ethic, I mean he's a slam dunk." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Holmes is very similar to former Irish standout C.J. Prosise. Not only does Holmes project as a legit four-star recruit at running back, wide receiver and safety, he is built very similar to Prosise and has comparable athleticism. Holmes is a smooth athlete that will only get stronger and more explosive as he matures. "He has very good vision and should excel in Notre Dame's zone schemes as a runner, and his down-field ball skills make him a legit receiving threat whether it's out of the backfield or lined up outside as a receiver." C.J. Holmes Is Out To Make A Name For Himself Holmes rushed for 1,169 yards and 13 touchdowns during his senior campaign at Cheshire (Conn.) Academy. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS