Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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72 MARCH 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY BRYAN DRISKELL N otre Dame's staff quickly returned to work after last February's Na- tional Signing Day, and by the time the 2017 season kicked off the Irish already had 15 players committed in the 2018 class. Twenty-one play- ers signed during the early signing period in December. With so much of the class commit- ted or signed so early, the Irish staff was able to get a jump-start on the 2019 class. More than 60 2019 recruits visited campus during the fall, and the Irish had a group of 20 players on campus Jan. 27 for their first Junior Day. Spring practice will likely adjust the overall needs on the roster, but for the most part the staff is quite aware of what it must focus on with the 2019 class. Here's a position- by-position outlook with projected needs and early targets at each posi- tion: QUARTERBACK Players On The 2018 Roster: 4 Projected Take: 1 Notre Dame identified its top 2019 quarterback during the summer when Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch four-star Cade McNamara impressed the staff at a camp hosted on Notre Dame's campus. McNamara has been a prolific prep player, throwing for 7,047 yards and 90 touchdowns as a sophomore and junior, while getting picked off just 19 times. The 6-1, 170-pound quar- terback had a 44-to-8 touchdown-to- interception ratio as a junior. Rivals' No. 230 overall player na- tionally added winter offers from Michigan and USC, but he remains firm in his commitment to the Irish. RUNNING BACK Players On The 2018 Roster: 4 Projected Take: 2 Notre Dame's running back depth chart will have a vastly different look in 2018 thanks to the early departure of Josh Adams to the NFL and the dismissal of sophomore Deon McIn- tosh and freshman C.J. Holmes. Dex- ter Williams enters his final season of eligibility. Landing a pair of backs in the 2018 class helped alleviate the immedi- ate needs at the position, but Notre Dame must address its overall lack of depth (players at different positions on the current roster may get a look at running back this spring). Naples (Fla.) High four-star slasher Cesare Mellusi has been on Notre Dame's radar for some time. Offered by the staff last summer, the nation's No. 223 overall player, according to Rivals, visited campus unofficially the weekend of Sept. 9 when the Irish hosted Georgia. Mellusi has stated that Notre Dame is his leader, but with an expanding offer list that already includes LSU, Michigan, Auburn, USC and Texas A&M there is still plenty of work to be done. Notre Dame offered Avon (Ind.) High four-star running back Samp- son James during the January Junior Day, but it has its hands full for the nation's No. 137 overall player, with Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee, Nebraska and others making just as hard a push for him. James rushed for 1,782 yards in 2017. A strong defensive tackle haul is a must in 2019, and landing Jacob Lacey of Kentucky — the No. 10 player nationally at the position — is a great start for Notre Dame. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM The Irish Are Poised For A Stellar 2019 Haul