5-Star Football Recruit Savon Huggins: Does Notre Dame Have the Edge?

Five-star running back Savon Huggins was in South Bend on Saturday visiting Notre Dame and watching the Irish take on Central Michigan. 

Up until his visit, Huggins had been very quiet about his plans, narrowing his list of suitors down to five finalists, but giving little information besides that. 

Obviously Notre Dame was one of the five schools, joined by Rutgers, Florida, North Carolina and Pitt. 

While Huggins didn't spend time with reporters after his official visit with Notre Dame, his father Wendell filled us in on how the visit went. 

“He got an opportunity to spend a lot of time with the players,” Wendell said. “He hung with them and talked to them one-on-one. He wanted to see what kind of chemistry he had with the team, which was real good.

“He was able to gel pretty well with Manti [Te'o]. He’s an exemplary representative for Notre Dame. They gelled and had a really good time."

As for Huggins connection with the coaching staff, his father suggested that everything went smoothly on that front as well. 

“I think everything went pretty well. I think the main concern was watching how [coach Bryan] Kelly used his running backs in the game. Each player has his own different set of abilities. They don’t have one complete back. They have a scat-back, a power back, they need a complete back and I think everyone is aware of that."

Huggins is one of the best home-run hitters of the 2011 class and arguably has the best juke moves of any running back, but he's also a north-south runner who will hit his holes hard and fast.

That has his father concerned over whether Notre Dame is as good a fit in reality as it is on paper. 

“My concern coming in was that my son is a downhill runner. So, what aspects of his game are they going to change or where do they see him in that offense, because you don’t run a fullback. Their answer was, ‘We pull the tight end or a guard, so it’s similar to having a fullback in front of you, because they’re going to be the lead block and they’re going to be the one that you’re going to make your cuts off.’"

As for Savon, there doesn't appear the same level of concern. 

That explanation along with the time spent with the Notre Dame players made an impact on Savon, but this was his first official visit of five. 

“[Savon] said, ‘This is still a good situation for me' It was definitely a place that he felt that he could see himself playing at.”  Wendell said. 

While it looks like Huggins is definitely leaning toward Notre Dame at the moment, he'll still be making a few visits before coming to a decision. 

He'll be in North Carolina when the Tar Heels host William and Mary on October 30, then heads to Florida in December and Rutgers in January; he has yet to schedule an official visit with Pitt. 

If you're a Fighting Irish fan or just someone who follows the Huggins trail closely, Rutgers is the wildcard in this mix and of the four finalists besides Notre Dame is the school we feel Huggins has the best shot of landing. 

More and more it appears that Pitt is fading from the picture and Huggins, who's from New Jersey, has always had a soft spot for the rising in-state program.

"I talk to Rutgers a couple of times a week and players," Huggins said in a recent interview after announcing his five finalists. 

Still, based on the way things went this weekend as well as Huggins strong relationship with Notre Dame running backs coach Tim Hinton, this is Notre Dame's fight to lose.