Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 11, 2017 47 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP • Notre Dame hosted an impressive crop of visitors for its season opener against Temple Sept. 2. Though it wasn't the enormous recruiting weekend that the Georgia and USC games promise to be, the Irish still welcomed key top targets to campus, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Thomas Booker of Baltimore Gilman, Rivals' No. 212 overall player in the country, made his second trip to campus while Conroe (Texas) Oak Ridge de- fensive end Joseph Ossai and Everett (Wash.) Archbishop Murphy cornerback Kyler Gordon made their first. Rivals rates Gordon as the No. 3 player in the state of Washington. • A former Notre Dame commit is taking another look at the Irish. Detroit Cass Tech cornerback Kalon Gervin, who committed to Notre Dame follow- ing a Junior Day visit on Feb. 11, backed off that pledge May 6. Now Gervin, Rivals' No. 14 cornerback and No. 106 overall player in the nation, is planning on taking an official visit to Notre Dame Oct. 21 when the Irish host USC. Gervin also plans on being in South Bend for an unofficial visit when Notre Dame hosts Georgia Sept. 9. • Notre Dame was well represented in the latest edition of the Rivals250. Overall, eight Irish commits made the cut, with four of them landing in the Rivals100. Temecula (Calif.) Great Oak linebacker Jack Lamb was the highest rated Notre Dame commit on the list, checking in at No. 65 overall. Right behind Lamb was Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep wide receiver Kevin Austin at No. 69. Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine Richland quarterback Phil Jurkovec (No. 80) and Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter safety Derrik Allen (No. 82) also made the list. Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep linebacker Matthew Bauer (No. 132), Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep rover Shayne Simon (No. 141), Gurnee (Ill.) Warren Township wide receiver Micah Jones (No. 172) and Indianapolis Cathedral running back Markese Stepp (No. 231) rounded out the group of Irish com- mitments that made the list. — Corey Bodden and David McKinney Follow @BGI_CoreyBodden and @BGI_DMcKinney on Twitter for daily recruiting updates available on BlueandGold.com! Recruiting Notes • DT Jayson Ademilola: Jersey City (N.J) St. Peter's Prep (0-0) has yet to begin its season. First game: vs. Union City (N.J.) High (0-0). • DE Justin Ademilola: Jersey City (N.J) St. Peter's Prep (0-0) has yet to begin its season. First game: vs. Union City (N.J.) High (0-0). • S Derrik Allen: Registered seven tackles, a touchdown reception and a 60-yard punt return to help Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter (2-0) remain undefeated with a 42-6 win over Marietta (Ga.) Pope (0-1). Next game: vs. Marietta (Ga.) Kell (0-1). • WR Kevin Austin: Caught a touchdown pass in one half of action while helping Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep (1-0) pick up a 57-0 season- opening win over Pembroke Pines (Fla.) High (0-1). Next game: vs. Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) The Benjamin School (1-0). • LB Matthew Bauer: Recorded eight tackles and two sacks, according to GoErie.com, while helping Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep (1-0) begin the season with a 40-7 win over Pittsburgh Central Catholic (0-1). Next game: at Erie (Pa.) High (1-0). • OL John Dirksen: Maria Stein (Ohio) Marion Local (1-0) opened its season with a 35-7 victory over Dayton (Ohio) Chaminade-Julienne (0-1). Next game: at Hamler (Ohio) Patrick Henry (0-1). • DT Ja'Mion Franklin: Ridgely (Md.) North Caroline (0-0) has yet to begin its season. First game: at Salisbury (Md.) Wicomico (0-0). • WR Micah Jones: Caught three passes for 32 yards and two touchdowns, but Gurnee (Ill.) Warren Township (0-1) suffered a 34-20 loss to Barrington (Ill.) High (1-0). Next game: vs. Winnetka (Ill.) New Trier (1-0). • QB Phil Jurkovec: Threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns and added 106 yards and three scores on the ground to lead Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine- Richland (1-0) to a 41-0 home win over Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne (0-1) in a game that was nationally televised by ESPN. Next game: vs. Pittsburgh Mt. Lebanon (1-0). • DT Jacob Lacey: Recorded six total stops, five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one pass broken up in just more than a quarter of action during Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren's 43-6 triumph over Bowling Green (Ky.) Warren Central (0-2). Next game: vs. Franklin (Ky.) Franklin Simpson (1-1). • LB Jack Lamb: Bruised his patella tendon in first game of the season and will be out at least six weeks. Temecula (Calif.) Great Oak (0-1) lost 42-0 to Romoland (Calif.) Heritage (1-0). Next game: at Riverside (Calif.) King (0-0). • OL Cole Mabry: Brentwood (Tenn.) High (2-0) picked up a 42-21 win over Nashville (Tenn.) Cane Ridge (1-1). Next game: vs. Dickson (Tenn.) Dickson County (0-2). • QB Cade McNamara: Completed 27 of 40 passes for 400 yards and four touchdowns while adding one score on the ground to lead Reno (Nev.) Da- monte Ranch (1-0) to a 46-16 win over Walnut Creek (Calif.) Northgate (0-1). Next game: at Fresno (Calif.) Edison (0-1). • LB Ovie Oghoufo: Registered 11 tackles and two stops for loss on defense to go with five receptions for 62 yards on offense in Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison's (0-1) 33-8 loss to Grand Rapids (Mich.) East Grand Rapids (1-0). Next game: at Troy (Mich.) High (1-0). • ROV Shayne Simon: Jersey City (N.J) St. Peter's Prep (0-0) has yet to begin its season. First game: vs. Union City (N.J.) High (0-0). • RB Jahmir Smith: Continued his hot start to the year, rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns in Sanford (N.C.) Lee County's (2-0) 45-0 victory over Holly Springs (N.C.) High (0-2). Next game: vs. Raleigh (N.C.) Wakefield (0-2). • RB Markese Stepp: Rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns, but In- dianapolis Cathedral (0-2) lost 38-35 to Detroit Martin Luther King (1-0). Next game: at Pickerington (Ohio) Pickerington Central (0-1). • TE George Takacs: Caught two passes for nine yards in Naples (Fla.) Gulf Coast's (1-0) 27-2 victory over Naples (Fla.) Lely (0-1). Next game: vs. Hialeah (Fla.) High (1-0). COMMITMENT UPDATES Games played Aug. 24-27 unless otherwise noted Temecula (Calif.) Great Oak linebacker Jack Lamb is now the highest rated 2018 Irish commit, ranking No. 65 overall nationally according to Rivals. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM