Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2017 45 PREP PROFILES Chase Williams has been familiar with Notre Dame for a long time. Williams, a four-star wide receiver from Corona (Calif.) Eleanor Roos- evelt High, said a member of his fam- ily taught him about the Irish early on. "It was my late grandfather's favor- ite school," Williams said. "That's the one he always wanted me to go to. It was really meaningful to be offered." Williams said getting the call about the offer was an emotional moment for him and his family. "It was really big for me," he said. "I was at a loss for words. It was a really sentimental offer." The Rivals250 receiver had been having conversations with former of- fensive coordinator Mike Sanford, but said he's looking forward to getting to know the new coaching staff. "I'm still doing it, and it's been re- ally cool," Williams said of his rela- tionship with the Irish coaching staff. "I'm really excited for the future of Notre Dame. I like them, I like their ideas and I like their plans." The main line of communication between Williams and the Irish has been special teams coordinator Brian Polian. According to Williams, Polian en- couraged him to plan a visit to Notre Dame, and he has. The four-star will make the trip from California to South Bend during the last week of March when his school is on spring break. "It's always been a school that I've liked," Williams said. "Because of what it means to me personally. I re- ally want to go up and see the school, because I've always liked the pro- gram." Williams said he's looking forward to meeting Polian and continuing to build that relationship. "I like him a lot," Williams said. "I haven't gotten to meet him, so I don't know too much, but when I've talked to him, it's been really cool." Williams, the No. 25 wide receiver and No. 141 overall player in the na- tion according to Rivals, was inter- ested in Notre Dame before the offer ever came. Now that it has, that interest has grown even larger. "I don't mind it being far," Wil- liams stated. "I want to get out there and visit and see what kind of place it really is. I've heard so many good things, and I just want to see them for myself." — David McKinney Jevon Holland made a point to get in touch with Notre Dame. Early in February, he noticed that recruiting director Aaryn Kearney started following him on Twitter and immediately reached out to him. "Notre Dame is a powerhouse and I wanted to see if they had any inter- est in me," he said. "We had a con- versation and just talked about my background and my family." Irish special teams coordinator Brian Polian contacted Holland, and told the three-star the coaching staff had watched his film and liked what they saw. "It came from left field," Holland said of the Irish offer. "I didn't ex- pect it at all. I assumed that Notre Dame had guys all over the country that they were on, so I didn't think it would come, but I received the call and was extremely excited." Holland said he has also spoken with defensive coordinator Mike Elko, and has been impressed with both Elko and Polian. "They seem like really cool guys," Holland said. "Coach Elko is a cool guy — we've been texting a little bit — and Coach Polian is definitely a really cool guy." Holland admitted to not knowing a lot about the Irish, but he said he's looking forward to learning about the school and football program. Apparently Polian is looking for- ward to teaching him. "He said he was excited that I didn't know much about Notre Dame," Holland said "Because it's his job to educate me about it." Holland — who is listed as the No. 53 player in California and the No. 40 athlete nationally by Rivals — said he is already in the process of planning a visit to South Bend, which will likely take place in the summer. He said he wants to make the trip simply because of the name recognition of Notre Dame. "I know the program has a lot of weight to its name like Alabama or Michigan," Holland said. "It's a powerhouse school. Plus, I've never been to the Midwest, so if I see things I like there, it could be my calling. It's always nice to try things you haven't." It's early in the process for Hol- land, who currently holds 13 offers. He said that right now, it's too early for favorites. "I'm interested in all the schools that have offered me," Holland said. "I'm staying open and don't have any preferences for anybody else. All the schools have my interest." — David McKinney Family Ties Have Four-Star Receiver Interested In Irish Newly Offered Safety Is Planning Notre Dame Visit "IT WAS MY LATE GRANDFATHER'S FAVORITE SCHOOL. THAT'S THE ONE HE ALWAYS WANTED ME TO GO TO. IT WAS REALLY MEANING- FUL TO BE OFFERED." WILLIAMS ON NOTRE DAME CHASE WILLIAMS ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Eleanor Roosevelt H.S. Corona, Calif. Class: 2018 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 175 Rivals Rankings: No. 25 wide receiver and No. 141 overall player in the nation JEVON HOLLAND ✪ ✪ ✪ Bishop O'Dowd H.S. Oakland, Calif. Class: 2018 Position: Safety Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 175 Rivals Rankings: No. 53 player in California and No. 40 safety nationally