Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Latest Updates on Commits, Visits and Targets
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Three weeks have produced three wins, including a last-minute road victory and a thorough thumping of a top-15 opponent in Georgia Tech, and Notre Dame football has risen as high as No. 6 in the national polls.
With momentum building for the Irish, let’s check in on Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts, highlighting performances by commits, notable visits and other items on targets in the classes of 2016 and 2017, in particular.
The Irish have 14 commitments in their class of 2016, and those players are about a month into their senior season. Asked which Notre Dame commits have been most impressive through the first weeks of their seasons, Irish247’s Tom Loy pointed to quarterback Ian Book and wide receiver Chase Claypool.
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“Ian Book has been outstanding,” Loy said. “The knock on him is that he’s not a big kid. He’s maybe a hair over six feet tall. But week in and week out, he gets the job done. And he’s just absolutely dominant on the field each and every Friday night.”
Book pledged to Notre Dame on Aug. 4, less than a month after Claypool, a product of Abbotsford, British Columbia, announced his commitment to the Irish. The 6’5”, 205-pounder has already produced a slew of big plays through two weeks.
“I think Notre Dame should be very pleased in what they’re getting in him,” Loy said of the versatile Claypool. “Nobody knows where he’s going to fit best at the next level.”
Through three weeks, Loy said Notre Dame has improved its position with class of 2016 defensive end/outside linebacker Daelin Hayes, a USC commit who is still considering the Irish and visited for the Texas game. Hayes is scheduled to make his official visit for Notre Dame’s prime-time matchup against the Trojans on Oct. 17.
“You have to like the spot that Notre Dame is in with Daelin Hayes,” Loy said. “I know that there’s some uncertainty right now trying to get his situation whether he’ll stay committed to USC or if he’s gonna end up elsewhere. If he ends up elsewhere, it’s going to be Notre Dame. Those are really only the two schools that are in the mix for him.”
Notre Dame is also in “terrific shape,” per Loy, with another visitor for the season opener against Texas, class of 2016 safety D.J. Morgan. The Bellflower, California, product committed to Arizona State in May, received an Irish offer six days later and decommitted from the Sun Devils in early July.
“Notre Dame put themselves in great shape during that [Texas] visit,” Loy said. “Morgan didn’t shy away from the fact that he wanted a Notre Dame offer for a very long time. When it didn’t look like it was coming, he made his commitment to Arizona State. Shortly after that, Notre Dame offered. So that’s when it kinda rocked his world. This is the offer he wanted.”
Aside from that quartet, here are the latest updates in Notre Dame recruiting.
Aaron Hansford
Class of 2016 outside linebacker Aaron Hansford took an official visit to South Bend to witness Saturday’s 30-22 win over Georgia Tech. The No. 23 outside linebacker and No. 302 overall player in the country, Hansford visited Michigan State on Sept. 11.
Per Loy, Hansford is looking at the Irish, Spartans, Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State.
Jonathan Jones
Fellow class of 2016 outside linebacker Jonathan Jones is scheduled to take his official visit to campus this weekend for Notre Dame’s tilt against UMass. The Orlando, Florida, product is the No. 31 outside ‘backer and No. 417 overall prospect in his class.
“[I] would like to just sit down and talk to a business professor and the academic advisers,” Jones told 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong of what he’s looking forward to with the trip. “Also talk with all the coaches and players. Never been to Indiana so always great to experience a new place.”
Michigan, Duke and Syracuse are also in play for Jones’ services, according to Wiltfong.
Brendon White
Class of 2017 safety Brendon White took an unofficial visit for the Georgia Tech game and landed an Irish offer before kickoff.
White is the No. 22 safety and No. 312 overall player in the class. The Powell, Ohio, native also holds offers from Michigan State, Illinois, Marshall and Toledo.
“It was a great experience,” White told Wiltfong of his visit to South Bend. “I loved the environment, and the coaches I talked to seemed cool, and felt like it fit me.”
White visited Michigan State the previous weekend.
“That was my first time ever up there, so I have lots more to learn from them,” White told Wiltfong regarding Notre Dame. “It’s way too early to decide, but they are a great, solid football team with much talent, and I feel they are a really strong family, and I like that a lot.”
Damian Alloway
Class of 2016 all-purpose back/slot receiver Damian Alloway has changed his scheduled official visit from the USC weekend in October to the November weekend against Wake Forest, per Loy.
The 5’8 ½”, 170-pounder from Fontana, California, is the No. 3 all-purpose back and No. 164 prospect in the nation. Alloway visited South Bend over the summer after landing his offer from the Irish in late May.
Antjuan Simmons
Notre Dame may not battle Michigan this season (or for the foreseeable future), but the Irish still made inroads in the land of maize and blue by offering class of 2017 linebacker and Ann Arbor native Antjuan Simmons on Tuesday.
“It was unreal because I didn’t see it coming,” Simmons told Bleacher Report’s Sanjay Kirpalani. “I was just sitting in class, and I got the news, and I was just speechless.”
Simmons is planning to visit South Bend this weekend for the UMass game.
“It’s hard to explain,” Simmons told Kirpalani. “It’s a great program to be in and to be around. It’s a blessing for me just to have an offer from that program. The tradition, their academics and the football program—everything is top of the line there.”
Melquise Stovall
A similar player to Alloway, class of 2016 all-purpose back/slot receiver Melquise Stovall has scheduled his decision date for Jan. 9 at the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio, per 247Sports’ Ryan Bartow.
At 5’8”, 180 pounds from Lancaster, California, Stovall is the No. 4 all-purpose back and No. 167 overall recruit. Stovall decommitted from USC on Aug. 8. Loy has said that, as it stands now, Notre Dame would likely only take one of Stovall and Alloway.
Dalyn Wade-Perry
Class of 2017 defensive tackle Dalyn Wade-Perry is expected to visit campus this weekend for the UMass game, per Wiltfong.
The 6’4”, 310-pounder from Englewood, New Jersey, is the No. 23 defensive tackle and No. 336 junior in the country. Wade-Perry visited Penn State in September and July. He holds offers from Duke, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Maryland, Ohio State and Stanford, among others.
David Long
Class of 2016 cornerback and Stanford commit David Long said he will “definitely” take an official visit to Notre Dame, as well as Nebraska and Michigan, even though he remains “100 percent firm with Stanford,” according to Bartow.
“It’s more of a case of going to see them because I haven’t been to those places,” Long told Bartow.
The Los Angeles product is the No. 7 cornerback and No. 69 overall prospect in the senior class.
Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting stats and information courtesy of 247Sports.com, and all quotes obtained firsthand. Star ratings reflect 247Sports composite rankings.
Mike Monaco is the lead Notre Dame writer for Bleacher Report. Follow @MikeMonaco on Twitter.
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