Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2017 41 FOOTBALL RECRUITING in South Bend to end a six-day tour, which included visits to Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech. The 6-6, 280-pound four-star left the visit without the offer he was hoping for, but mentioned offensive line coach Harry Hiestand told him that he wouldn't have to worry about one down the road. Carroll enjoyed talking with Hi- estand and learning more about his style and how he approaches the re- cruiting process. If Notre Dame ul- timately offers, they will join a list which includes Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida State, Ohio State, Michi- gan and USC to name a few. ZACH HARRISON DEFENSIVE END LEWIS CENTER (OHIO) OLENTANGY ORANGE Rivals Ranking: Four-star recruit The Skinny: Harrison has been one of the early sophomore prospects on the radar of the Irish staff after earning an offer during his Novem- ber visit for the Virginia Tech game last fall. Communication has slipped since then, but he made his way back to South Bend and enjoyed being around the Notre Dame program. At 6-5 and 245 pounds, Harrison is considered one of the top defensive ends in the 2019 class, and also holds offers from Ohio State, Stanford, Michigan, Georgia and Penn State, among others. At Nike Football's The Opening Cleveland, Harrison posted a 4.62 40-yard dash and an overall Nike Football Rating score of 125.82, which ranked second among all camp participants. CHRIS HINTON DEFENSIVE END NORCROSS (GA.) GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN Rivals Ranking: Five-star talent The Skinny: One of the initial five 2019 prospects to earn a five-star ranking from Rivals, Hinton was the highest rated player on campus for Sophomore Day. Prior to the visit, Hinton said he was hoping to leave South Bend with an offer in hand, and that's exactly what happened. Hinton's recruitment will involve very stiff competition — but his fam- ily is big on academics, which should warrant serious consideration for the Irish. Following the visit, the 6-5, 265-pound Hinton noted he loved the "competitive excellence" of Notre Dame. Hinton is the son of former NFL Pro Bowl offensive lineman Chris Hinton, who was the No. 4 pick in the 1983 draft out of Northwestern. His mother attended law school at Notre Dame. GEORGE KARLAFTIS DEFENSIVE END WEST LAFAYETTE (IND.) HIGH Rivals Ranking: Four-star pros- pect The Skinny: In March, the in-state sophomore said the Irish staff told him to expect an offer the next time he made a trip to South Bend. He arrived April 1 and sure enough landed one of his "dream offers." Notre Dame will be one of his top schools throughout the process and is likely the early team to beat. An offer from Miami (Fla.) could change things because Karlaftis' late father played for the Hurricanes and the program holds a special place in his heart. At 6-5 and 240 pounds, Karlaftis is highly regarded as a prospect even though he moved to the United States from Greece as an eighth grader and just finished his first full-year of var- sity football. TREVOR KEEGAN OFFENSIVE TACKLE CRYSTAL LAKE (ILL.) SOUTH Rivals Ranking: Not ranked The Skinny: Keegan was "blown away" by his trip to Notre Dame. During the visit, he got to take in a spring practice and said it was an especially enjoyable experience be- cause he's been a Notre Dame fan for most of his life. Keegan said his family and most of his friends are also big Irish fans, so landing an offer at some point in the future would be big for the tal- ented sophomore. Currently, the 6-6, 290-pound Keegan holds offers from Minnesota and Northwestern. WILL PUTNAM OFFENSIVE TACKLE CHATHAM (ILL.) GLENWOOD Rivals Ranking: Four-star recruit The Skinny: At 6-4 and 280 pounds, Putnam is considered one of the top offensive linemen in the 2019 class and made his third trip to Notre Dame for Sophomore Day. The program continues to impress Putnam, but he currently does not hold an offer from the Irish. Putnam and his family will be moving to Tampa, Fla., soon, and a return visit to South Bend may not occur for some time. He holds offers from Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Ne- braska and Penn State, among oth- ers, and the Irish could run the risk of falling behind in the four-star 's recruitment. PAUL TYSON QUARTERBACK HEWITT (ALA.) HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE Rivals Ranking: Not ranked The Skinny: Tyson is a 6-4, 205-pound quarterback who comes from a strong football family. The great-grandson of legendary Ala- bama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, Ty- son got his first look at Notre Dame during Sophomore Day. He has garnered attention from some major programs, including Notre Dame and Alabama, but is still waiting on his first scholarship offer. ✦ Defensive end Chris Hinton of Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian — a Rivals class of 2019 five-star prospect — earned an offer from the Irish during his Sophomore Day visit. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM