Blue and Gold Illustrated

Nov. 20, 2017

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 20, 2017 43 FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY DAVID MCKINNEY AND COREY BODDEN N otre Dame's matchup with Navy Nov. 18 is the last chance for offi- cial visitors in the class of 2018 to see a home game in South Bend. With 19 commits in the fold, Notre Dame is still trying to fill a handful of spots in the class, and will host some top targets in 2018 and 2019 when the Midshipmen come to town. CONFIRMED OFFICIAL VISITORS KINGSLEY ENAGBARE — OFFICIAL VISIT Defensive End • Atlanta Hapeville Charter Rivals Rankings: Three-star pros- pect and the No. 6 defensive end in Georgia. The Skinny: Notre Dame offered Enagbare — who is committed to South Carolina — Oct. 6, the day be- fore the Irish took on North Caro- lina. The senior made sure to tune in to watch the Irish play and was impressed with what he saw. Enagbare has remained in constant communication with defensive line coach Mike Elston since the offer. The three-star told Blue & Gold Illustrated Notre Dame is the only program he is considering outside of South Caro- lina, but he is 100 percent committed to the Gamecocks. The Irish are looking to add an- other defensive end to the class, and Enagbare's willingness to take an official visit is a solid sign for their chances of flipping the Peach State product. LAWRENCE KEYS — OFFICIAL VISIT Wide Receiver • New Orleans McDonogh 35 Rivals Rankings: Three-star re- cruit and the No. 5 wide receiver in Louisiana. The Skinny: Keys' visit to Notre Dame has been in the works for a long time. The Louisiana talent was offered by the Irish Feb. 23, and has been working on finding a time to visit South Bend ever since. The 5-11, 160-pound Keys had been talking with Notre Dame for a month before the offer, so he was already familiar with the coaching staff when the tender finally came. The Irish have been near the top of Keys' list since, and the their main competition appears to be in-state LSU. Notre Dame wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander has been Keys' main contact at Notre Dame since being offered, and the two have built a strong bond throughout the recruiting process. Keys is in no hurry to make a decision and intends to let his recruitment play out all the way to National Signing Day. PAYTON WILSON — OFFICIAL VISIT Linebacker • Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange County Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 7 outside linebacker and No. 133 overall player in the country. The Skinny: Notre Dame is look- ing to add at least one more line- backer to the four-man class they have committed currently, and Wil- son is one of the top remaining tar- gets at the position. The 6-4, 225-pounder has been committed to in-state North Caro- lina since May 1, but Notre Dame linebackers coach Clark Lea has kept in touch, and the Tar Heels' two-win season has forced Wilson to take a look at other schools. He seems to value relationships, so Lea will be a critical factor for the Irish in this one. Notre Dame, however, isn't the only school that will get a second crack at Wilson. North Carolina State and Clemson are also involved, but for now Wilson remains committed to the Tar Heels. CONFIRMED 2019 VISITORS JOSEPH ANDERSON — UNOFFICIAL VISIT (2019) Defensive End • Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Siegel Rivals Rankings: Four-star pros- pect and the No. 127 overall player nationally. The Skinny: This will be Ander- son's second visit to Notre Dame this season and third overall trip to South Bend. The 6-4, 265-pounder attended the inaugural Sophomore Day April 2 and then returned to campus for the Irish's matchup with Georgia Sept. 9. The four-star has been high on Notre Dame for a long time, and the Irish are likely the leader in his re- cruitment at the moment. Anderson has stated on multiple occasions he can see himself in South Bend, and this return fall trip is a good sign for the Irish. JOHN OLMSTEAD — UNOFFICIAL VISIT (2019) Offensive Tackle • Metuchen (N.J.) St. Joseph's Rivals Rankings: Four-star talent, and the No. 8 offensive tackle and No. 59 overall player in the nation. The Skinny: Olmstead is one of of- fensive line coach Harry Hiestand's top targets in the 2019 class. The ju- nior earned an offer from the Irish over the summer after working out for Hiestand. Notre Dame is a program of high interest for Olmstead, given its ac- ademic and athletic combination along with Hiestand's reputation of developing NFL linemen. Olmstead is looking forward to getting a more in-depth look at Notre Dame this time around. The Irish may end up being tough to beat for Olmstead, but Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin and others are giving chase for the Rivals100 pros- pect. ✦ ND's Final Home Game Will Bring Talented Visitors To South Bend Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange County standout Payton Wilson, Rivals' No. 7 outside linebacker and No. 133 overall player in the nation, will officially visit Notre Dame for the Navy game Nov. 18. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM

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