Notre Dame Football: Players to Watch in High School All-American Games
Bowl season is already upon us, and for both Notre Dame and the rest of college football’s elite, national signing day isn’t far behind.
Notre Dame currently boasts 21 commitments in its 2016 class, which is ranked 11th nationally. The Irish have added three pledges in December, with outside linebacker Daelin Hayes, safety Devin Studstill and cornerback Troy Pride Jr. joining the fold in recent weeks.
Eleven of those 21 verbal commits will participate in high school All-American games in January. Between those South Bend-bound seniors and the other targets still on the board, who are the players to watch for Notre Dame fans in the upcoming All-American games?
Liam Eichenberg
1 of 5
Offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg is Notre Dame’s only commitment slated for the Under Armour All-America Game, which kicks off Saturday afternoon in Orlando, Florida.
Eichenberg checks in as the No. 12 offensive tackle and No. 105 overall prospect in the nation. The 4-star lineman from Cleveland has been committed to the Irish since April.
Bowl practice begins Tuesday, and Eichenberg will have the opportunity to square off against some elite defensive linemen. Defensive tackle Rashan Gary, defensive end Nick Bosa, defensive tackle Edward Oliver, defensive end McTelvin Agim and defensive end Oluwole Betiku are some of the top defensive linemen in Orlando.
Jeffrey McCulloch
2 of 5
Linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch highlights the Irish targets participating in the Under Armour All-America Game on Saturday. The No. 7 outside linebacker and No. 83 overall player in the country is uncommitted and hails from Houston.
McCulloch originally planned to announce his commitment in Orlando, but he had a change of heart on Monday.
"My family and I have come to the decision I'm not ready to make a commitment at the UA game the new decision date is signing day
— The Shark (@jmcculloch17) December 28, 2015"
McCulloch landed an offer from Notre Dame in mid-June, and the 6’2 ½”, 230-pound linebacker visited South Bend for the USC game and placed Notre Dame in his top five roughly two weeks ago.
Caleb Kelly
3 of 5
Notre Dame will be well stocked at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 9, with commits Tommy Kraemer, Daelin Hayes, Tony Jones Jr. and John Shannon set for San Antonio.
Beyond those pledges, however, outside linebacker target and U.S. Army All-American Caleb Kelly will also be worth watching. The No. 3 outside linebacker and the No. 23 overall recruit in the class, Kelly is expected to announce his commitment on national signing day, per Irish247’s Tom Loy.
Oklahoma is considered the leader for the services of the Fresno, California, product, but Kelly did take an official visit to South Bend earlier this month for the banquet weekend.
“Notre Dame put itself in good position,” Kelly told Loy after his visit. “I’d probably say Oklahoma and Notre Dame are a little higher for me right now. It’s those two right there.
“I liked it a lot. It was real eye-opening. Getting to see the school, the academics, all that stuff. Getting to meet the players and hang out. I liked it a lot. Honestly, it was a little better than I thought it would be. It was pretty cool.”
A few days later, Kelly was presented with the Butkus Award as the nation’s top high school linebacker.
"This is dope tho pic.twitter.com/EppxFHa03U
— KANAI™ (@calebkkelly) December 21, 2015"
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Javon McKinley
4 of 5
Like Kelly, wide receiver Javon McKinley is an Irish target set for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. And McKinley, the No. 18 wideout and No. 107 overall prospect in the country, is scheduled to announce his commitment during the game on Jan. 9.
McKinley took official visits to Washington, Tennessee, Notre Dame (in October for the USC game), UCLA and Oregon. The 6’2”, 203-pounder would be a strong addition to Notre Dame’s class, which currently includes wide receivers Chase Claypool and Kevin Stepherson.
Troy Pride Jr.
5 of 5
Christmas came a few hours early for Notre Dame fans on Thursday, when cornerback Troy Pride Jr. announced his commitment to the Irish.
"Merry Christmas🤑🎄 pic.twitter.com/k0g9nF3jKX
— Troy Pride Jr. 5⃣ (@GHSIsland5) December 24, 2015"
Pride is the No. 35 cornerback in the country and the No. 387 overall prospect. Notre Dame fans can get their first look at the Greer, South Carolina, native in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, on Jan. 16.
Pride originally committed to Virginia Tech in February, but the defensive back decommitted from the Hokies in mid-November. His recruitment picked up as Ole Miss, South Carolina and Clemson offered, but Pride picked the Irish on Christmas Eve.
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.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
