Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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44 SEPT. 11, 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY DAVID MCKINNEY AND COREY BODDEN N otre Dame's showdown against Georgia in South Bend Sept. 9 is shaping up to be one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the 2017 sea- son for the Irish. The Irish coaching staff made a point to bring in as much top-level talent as it could for the game, and the confirmed visitors are a star-stud- ded group. The list will be continuously up- dated on BlueandGold.com leading up to the showdown between the Irish and the Bulldogs. CONFIRMED VISITORS JOSEPH ANDERSON — UNOFFICIAL VISIT Defensive End (2019) Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Siegel Rivals Rankings: Four-star prospect and the No. 127 overall player in the 2019 class. The Skinny: Anderson has been high on the Irish since receiving his offer in early March. He's told Blue & Gold Illustrated multiple times he could see himself playing for Notre Dame. The four-star junior took in the program's Sopho- more Day in April, and continued his high praise for the program and the staff. He'll experience game day for the first time and provides Notre Dame another chance to impress one of its top defensive line targets in the junior class. CHASE COTA — OFFICIAL VISIT Wide Receiver Medford (Ore.) South Medford Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent and the No. 113 overall prospect in the nation. The Skinny: This will be Cota's second trip to Notre Dame. The Oregon athlete first visited South Bend for the Blue-Gold Game April 22 and came away impressed with everything he saw. A second visit is certainly a good sign for the Irish. The Oregon legacy has long been considered a strong lean to the Ducks — his father, Chad Cota, played for them from 1991-94 — but his interest in Notre Dame appears sincere. Cota has his list narrowed down to a top seven, but a strong visit could put the Irish near the top. AVONTA CRIM — OFFICIAL VISIT Safety • Ocala (Fla.) Vanguard Rivals Rankings: Three-star recruit. The Skinny: Crim does not yet hold an offer from Notre Dame, but has had frequent contact with defensive coordinator Mike Elko over the past several months. The Florida talent said he believes he'll add an offer from Notre Dame as soon as he steps on campus, and he'll do that Sept. 9. If the Irish do end up offering Crim, they should be strong contenders for the former Central Florida commit. He has also been hearing frequently from the 2016 national champions Clemson, but the Tigers have yet to pull the trigger on an offer. JULIUS IRVIN — OFFICIAL VISIT Safety • Anaheim (Calif.) Servite Rivals Rankings: Four-star prospect and the No. 26 safety nationally. The Skinny: Irvin has Notre Dame in his top five with Michigan, Washington, Utah and USC. The California product has a strong relationship with special teams coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian, and has been impressed with the Irish coach's knowledge of West Coast football. His father, Leroy Irvin, a former Pro Bowl de- fensive back for the Los Angeles Rams, has also spoken highly of Notre Dame in the past. According to Irvin, the Irish have made him feel like a priority recruit and told him he'll have a spot in the class all the way up to National Signing Day. KALON GERVIN — UNOFFICIAL VISIT Cornerback • Detroit Cass Tech Rivals Rankings: A four-star recruit, and the No. 14 cornerback and No. 106 overall prospect in the nation. The Skinny: The former Notre Dame commit has decided to give the Irish another look and will un- officially visit for the Georgia game before officially visiting for the USC game. Gervin committed to Notre Dame in February, only to decommit in May. After decommitting, it seemed as though Gervin had cut ties with the Irish, but recent correspon- dence with defensive backs coach Todd Lyght and head coach Brian Kelly seems to have brought Notre Dame back into the picture. GEORDON PORTER — OFFICIAL VISIT Wide Receiver • Etiwanda (Calif.) High Rivals Rankings: Three-star talent. The Skinny: Porter picked up his offer from Notre Dame in June, and the Irish immediately became a major player in his recruitment. His excitement at landing a Notre Dame offer was obvious and Porter included the Irish in his top seven July 11. The California native is in no rush to make a decision, and taking an official visit to Notre Dame was high on the priority list before he can enter decision mode. Arizona State, UCLA, California, Utah, Colorado and Alabama are also involved in Porter's recruitment. JAMAREE SALYER — OFFICIAL VISIT Offensive Guard • Atlanta Pace Academy Rivals Rankings: Five-star prospect, and the No. 1 offensive guard and No. 10 overall player in the country. The Skinny: Salyer will be making his fourth trip to South Bend, with the last one having occurred in June. Notre Dame is in the mix for the five-star guard, but still has work to do in order to be a seri- ous contender to land his signature. Georgia and Clemson are considered the teams to beat, and Salyer could prove to be a tough pull from the South. However, his multiple visits to South Bend are an indication of his interest. A big season on the field will help Notre Dame's long- term chances. ✦ The Georgia Game Will Bring A Talented Crop Of Prospects To South Bend CURRENT COMMITS EXPECTED TO ATTEND THE GEORGIA GAME • Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter safety Derrik Allen — No. 82 overall player in the nation • Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep wide receiver Kevin Austin — No. 69 overall player in the country • Gurnee (Ill.) Warren Township wide re- ceiver Micah Jones — No. 172 overall player nationally • Temecula (Calif.) Great Oak linebacker Jack Lamb — No. 65 overall player in the nation • Brentwood (Tenn.) High offensive tackle Cole Mabry • Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren defen- sive tackle Jacob Lacey — No. 231 overall player in the class of 2019 • Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch quarterback Cade McNamara — No. 236 overall player in the class of 2019 Peach State product Jamaree Salyer, a five-star offensive guard, will be on hand for the Georgia game Sept. 9, and a great visit will go a long way toward the Irish becoming serious contenders for his pledge. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM