Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/890623
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 30, 2017 45 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP • DL Jayson Ademilola: Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep (4-2) fell 41-14 to Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic (4-2). Next game: vs. Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph Regional (4-2). • DL Justin Ademilola: Notched six tackles (one for loss) in Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep's (4-2) 41-14 loss to Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic (4-2). Next game: vs. Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph Regional (4-2). • DB Derrik Allen: Had more than six tackles, a 50-yard punt return that set up Lassiter's go-ahead score and the game-sealing interception to lead Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter (5-2) to a 27-16 win over Woodstock (Ga.) High (4-3). Next game: at Marietta (Ga.) Walton (7-0). • WR Kevin Austin: Had four catches for 25 yards and five carries for 18 yards, but Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep (4-2) fell 42-15 to Key West (Fla.) High (5-0). Next game: vs. Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Calvary Christian (2-4). • LB Matthew Bauer: Scored a one-yard rushing touchdown and was part of another dominating defensive effort by Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep (8-0) in a 50-7 win over West Toronto Prep of Ontario, Canada … The lone West Toronto Prep score came via a pick-six. Next game: at Waterford (Pa.) Fort LeBoeuf (4-4). • OL John Dirksen: Maria Stein (Ohio) Marion Local (8-0) notched a 21-10 win over Fort Recovery (Ohio) High (4-4). Next game: at St. Henry (Ohio) High (6-2). • DT Ja'Mion Franklin: Ridgely (Md.) North Caroline (7-0) dominated with a 61-0 rout of Worton (Md.) Kent County (1-6). Next game: at Salisbury (Md.) Bennett (5-2). • WR Micah Jones: Caught two passes for three yards on six targets in Gurnee (Ill.) Warren Township's (5-3) 21-14 loss to Zion (Ill.) Zion-Benton (4-4). Next game: at Lincolnshire (Ill.) Stevenson (6-2). • QB Phil Jurkovec: Completed 14 of 17 passes for 243 yards with two touch- downs and an interception to lead Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland (8-0) to a 45-0 victory over Pittsburgh Shaler Area (0-8) … For the season, has connected on 128 of 166 throws (77.1 percent) for 2,121 yards with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions … Also has 46 carries for 358 yards and 12 scores. Next game: vs. Butler (Pa.) High (2-6). • DL Jacob Lacey: Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren (7-1) had a bye. Next game: at Bowling Green (Ky.) High (6-2). • LB Jack Lamb: Returned to action after sitting out several weeks with a knee injury and made two tackles in Temecula (Calif.) Great Oak's (4-3) 41-3 win versus Temecula (Calif.) Valley (0-7). Next game: vs. Murrieta (Calif.) Mesa (6-1). • OL Cole Mabry: Brentwood (Tenn.) High (7-1) had a bye. Next game: vs. Lewisburg (Tenn.) Marshall County (6-2). • QB Cade McNamara: Completed 15 of 30 throws for 216 yards with two touchdowns, while adding four rushes for 21 yards and a score to lead Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch (7-0) to a 42-7 win over Minden (Nev.) Douglas (2-6) … For the season, is 121-of-222 passing for 1,919 yards with 25 touchdowns. Next game: at Carson City (Nev.) Carson (3-4). • LB Ovie Oghoufo: Caught one pass for 13 yards and recorded five tackles in Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison's (6-2) 39-0 win over Berkley (Mich.) High (1-7). Next game: at Clarkston (Mich.) High (6-2). • ROV Shayne Simon: Made 11 tackles (two for loss), but Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep (4-2) suffered a 41-14 loss to Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic (4-2). Next game: vs. Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph Regional (4-2). • RB Jahmir Smith: Sanford (N.C.) Lee County (8-0) recorded its seventh shut- out in eight games with a 55-0 win over Lillington (N.C.) Western Harnett (0-8). Next game: vs. Cameron (N.C.) Union Pines (4-4). • RB Markese Stepp: Had five carries for 49 yards and two touchdowns in Indianapolis Cathedral's (4-5) 21-14 win over Greenwood (Ind.) Center Grove (4-5). Next game: vs. Indianapolis Roncalli (8-1) in the first round of the Indiana state playoffs during the last weekend in October. • TE George Takacs: Naples (Fla.) Gulf Coast (3-1) had a bye. Next game: at Naples (Fla.) Palmetto Ridge (2-2). Commitment Updates Games played Oct. 13-14 unless otherwise noted • Notre Dame already holds three commitments from linebackers in the 2018 class with Matthew Bauer of Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep, Jack Lamb of Temecula (Calif.) Great Oak and Ovie Og- houfo of Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison. But Blue & Gold Illus- trated has learned that the Irish are pursuing other linebackers due to potential concerns about its depth chart moving forward. Freshman David Adams re- cently announced a shoulder injury, which may put his ability to play moving forward in doubt. Nyles Morgan and Greer Martini will exhaust their eligibility this season, which leaves just senior Te'von Coney, juniors Jamir Jones and Jonathan Jones, and sopho- mores Drew White and Adams in the position room to go with its current three-man recruiting class. The Irish hosted top target Solomon Tuliaupupu of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei for an official visit for the USC game Oct. 21. Rivals lists Tuliaupupu as a four-star prospect, and the No. 3 inside linebacker and No. 84 overall player nationally. The staff also remains in communication with Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange County linebacker and North Carolina commit Payton Wilson, who is ranked as the No. 7 outside linebacker and No. 133 player nationally by Rivals, and Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian linebacker and USC commit Bo Calvert, who is Rivals' No. 15 outside linebacker and No. 218 overall player in the country. • The search for cornerbacks and defensive ends continued for Notre Dame with three new offers being extended recently to prospects committed elsewhere. Atlanta Hapeville Charter team- mates cornerback Chris Smith, who has pledged to Georgia, and defensive end Kingsley Enag- bare, who pledged to South Carolina, landed Irish offers. Smith, the nation's No. 15 cornerback and No. 171 overall player per Rivals, hasn't said much about his Irish offer, and despite a recent visit to Michigan he is expected to stick with his pledge to the Bulldogs. Enagbare, a three-star prospect, told Blue & Gold Illustrated that he is considering taking a visit to Notre Dame. Rivals' No. 27 strongside defensive end in the country may end up looking around, and the Irish appear to be a team that would be in play if that happens. Manchester (Tenn.) Coffee County Central athlete and Tennessee commit Alontae Taylor, who Rivals ranks as the No. 25 wide receiver and No. 133 overall player in the land, added an Irish offer to his list and will visit South Bend for the North Carolina State game Oct. 28. Notre Dame likes Taylor at cornerback. Taylor is expected to take multiple officials visits and potentially all five, leaving the possibility of an- other program pulling him away from his Tennes- see pledge while uncertainty about the program's future lingers. • Speaking of cornerbacks committed elsewhere, along with Taylor, Notre Dame will host another committed 2018 cornerback for an official visit dur- ing the North Carolina State weekend: Washington (D.C.) H.D. Woodson product Noah Boykin, who is Rivals' No. 24 cornerback nationally. The Maryland pledge landed an Irish offer last month and expressed his desire to visit South Bend. Boykin told Blue & Gold Illustrated he had to express some interest in the Irish in order to land the offer. He will be a name to monitor after his visit to see what kind of move Notre Dame made during the trip. Follow @BGI_CoreyBodden and @BGI_DMcKinney on Twitter for daily updates available on BlueandGold.com! RECRUITING NOTES The Irish remain in communica- tion with North Carolina line- backer commit Payton Wilson of Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange County. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM