B/R Recruiting Notebook: In-Home and Official Visits Set to Take off

The NCAA's contact period is now active. Look for college coaches to be full throttle in making in-home visits and trips to high schools to check out potential talent—particularly with the majority of high school teams either wrapping up their seasons or already into offseason training.

From now until Jan. 30, college coaches are allowed to visit with recruiting targets and their families face to face. Coaches are allowed to call or send letters to student-athletes, as well as visit high schools to watch practices.

In short, it's a free-for-all for coaches. And with the coaching turnover in college football, "free-for-all" may be the perfect way to describe the next eight weeks. It will be interesting to see which directions athletes turn as they prepare for what's anticipated to be a hectic December in recruiting.

Notre Dame looking to impress New Jersey ATH

Westwood, New Jersey, 4-star athlete Jordan Fuller said he will have an in-home visit with Notre Dame today. Penn State also is expected to see him, as he prepares to lead Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 final on Dec. 5.

At 6'2" and 200 pounds, Fuller can play any of the skill positions effectively. His preference is cornerback, but he's a do-it-all talent for Old Tappan, contributing on offense, defense and special teams.

"My recruiting process has been good. I'm talking to coaches every week," said Fuller, the nation's No. 8 athlete who has a top eight of Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, TCU and Rutgers.

"I've kind of put recruiting on the back burner to focus on winning a championship. After that, I'm going to take my visits."

Fuller has a Notre Dame official visit scheduled the weekend of Dec. 12. He's still determining which schools he wants to visit after that. Fuller added that he wants to make a decision "either late January or early February, near signing day."

"I like the balance between education and football," Fuller said regarding a winning school. "I also want to be comfortable with the players there. I want to be able to see myself there."

Credit: 247Sports.com

After DT's pledge to Michigan, more Texans targeted?

Michigan didn't win on the field Saturday against Ohio State, but it did win off the field when Houston 4-star defensive tackle Jordan Elliott gave his verbal commitment.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh has made Texas a recruiting objective since his summer tour of satellite-camp appearances. Several big-name athletes from the Lone Star State are on Michigan's radar.

And now, Elliott, looking to be the first Michigan commit from the state of Texas under the Harbaugh era, has recruiting goals of his own. But he's keeping his in-state targets and plans confidential.

"Give me two weeks tops," he said.

Some of Michigan's long-term 2016 targets from the state include offensive tackle Jean Delance, defensive tackle/linebackers Dontavious Jackson and Jeffrey McCulloch and defensive tackle Chris Daniels, among others.

Credit: 247Sports.com

Three-team battle strong for Florida ILB

The three-horse race, featuring Auburn, Michigan and Florida State, remains tight in landing Hollywood, Florida, 4-star inside linebacker Devin Bush Jr. In fact, the race, Bush said, may be as tight as ever.

Now that Bush has taken official visits to all three schools, the final research and evaluation begins. Bush said he is looking to make a decision the week of Dec. 14.

"I'm just watching them play on weekends, seeing different schemes and how they play as a team and just taking notes in the back of my head on the pros and cons," Bush said. "I'm comparing them athletically and academically and looking to make a decision the week after state."

The big question: Will Bush follow in his father's footsteps or blaze his own trail? Devin Bush Sr. was a star safety at Florida State and won a national championship in 1993 before playing eight seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns.

The winning school for the younger Bush will get a 5'11", 226-pound athlete who plays with explosiveness and aggressiveness. He has a level of pop that allows him to line up as a rover if necessary.

When asked what he wanted out of a school, Bush's answer was simple.

"The chance to be developed as a player and person, academics and play with great players and the best chance to win," he said.

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

News of Miles staying comforting for LSU commits

The idea of head coach Les Miles leaving LSU had a few commits on decommitment watch, but with Saturday's announcement of him returning for at least one more year, several pledges not only expressed their excitement but also reconfirmed their commitments to the program.

"When we were talking and he said he was not going to be leaving, it was the best part of the trip," DeSoto, Texas, 4-star receiver Dee Anderson told Sonny Shipp of 247Sports.com regarding his official visit over the weekend. "I got the answer I was looking for."

Houston 5-star defensive back Eric Monroe, the nation's No. 2 safety, told Shea Dixon of 247Sports.com: "I love Coach Miles and think he's a great coach there. The big thing is, he really cares about the players and loves all the kids. That's a big reason why people love him and want to play there."

Miles will get to coach the nation's No. 2 2016 recruiting class next season—a class that includes two 5-star prospects in Monroe and IMG Academy cornerback Saivion Smith. The Tigers, however, will be searching for a new quarterback commit, as 4-star Feleipe Franks decommitted last week.

Sleeper alert: Unrated QB leading powerhouse program

Texas powerhouse Allen High School uses two quarterbacks in its offensive rotation. One quarterback is 4-star dual threat Seth Green, who has more than 2,200 total yards and 28 touchdowns, 18 of which came via the pass.

The quarterback leading Allen in the majority of statistics, however, is the guy who not only is unrated but also without a reported offer. Mitchell Jonke is a 6'0", 180-pound, pro-style option who has dual-threat capability. In splitting time with Green, Jonke leads the team with 1,644 passing yards. He's thrown for 17 touchdowns with only four interceptions and also has rushed for 696 yards and 10 scores.

Additionally, Jonke, a product of Air 14 Quarterback Academy, has done his part in helping Allen extend its winning streak to 56 games, dating back to 2012. Jonke doesn't have an offer, but he is receiving interest from Oklahoma State, Purdue and in-state schools TCU, Baylor and Texas.

"When I think of Mitchell, I think of efficiency," said Kevin Murray, founder of Air 14 and the father of another Air 14 product, Texas A&M quarterback Kyler Murray. "He does all of the little things right. And he has better wheels than most people think. [He's a] true student of the game."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles