Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Four-Star Junior Wideout Is Impressed On Return To ND PREP PROFILES quon Treadwell was one of the pros- pects that Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordina- tor Chuck Martin stopped to see on Jan. 27, the Friday before National Signing Day. "It was great," the 6-3, 195-pound Crete, Ill., junior wide receiver La- Crete-Monee player said. "It was an- other special feeling that I had about the process, and it showed me how much they want me. They could've been anywhere in the world, but they were at my school." Indiana, Ohio State and Wiscon- sin were the other programs that stopped by the four-star prospect's school in an effort to make an early impression. Treadwell visited Notre Dame for LAQUON TREADWELL ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ wide receiver in the country, the No. 5 player in Illinois and the nation's No. 75 overall prospect Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 195 40-yard dash: 4.4 247Sports Ranking: No. 7 Crete-Monee High Crete, Ill. its game against USC Oct. 22, but he arrived to campus late and had to make an early departure. With plenty left to see, he traveled back to South Bend the day after hosting the Irish coaches. "The best part of the visit was hav- ing the head coach taking me on a ceiver James Onwualu attends the alma mater — Cretin-Derham Hall — of several notable former Irish players, most recently wideout Michael Floyd. The 6-2, 205-pound pass catcher Saint Paul, Minn., junior wide re- tour around the school," he shared. "They said he usually doesn't do that. I've been around the coaches for a long time now. It's starting to feel like I've been down there a lot even though I've only been there two times." Treadwell reeled in 75 catches for 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns in his junior season. Indiana, Michi- gan, Minnesota and Nebraska have all offered. While Michigan was noted as be- the other right now," he said. "I'm just trying to take my time with all of this. My mom plays a big role in my decision, so I want to make sure she gets to see the schools I'm consider- ing too." The nation's No. 75 recruit noted "No schools stand out more than that academics, the stability of the coaching staff and the depth chart at his position are the three main fac- tors impacting his decision. While he doesn't plan on making his choice until after he takes official visits as a senior, Treadwell says Notre Dame has left a strong impression early in the process. "I'm already planning on com- ing the early leader for his services, he's slowing down the process to consider all of his options. ing for the spring game [April 21]," Treadwell said. "I could see myself going there. My mom said it's not even far, and she really liked the aca- demics and so many kids finish and graduate. Going to Notre Dame sets you up to be successful. "I'm just going to have to let it all play out." — Jason Sapp Going Back To The Well For 2013 Wide Receiver JAMES ONWUALU ✪ ✪ ✪ has plenty of background knowledge about the program and traveled to campus last summer in hopes of get- ting the opportunity to be the next one to make the transition. "I talked to the coaches when I camped there," Onwualu said of his interest in the Irish. "I blew it up there and caught their eye. We've been back and forth keeping in touch since then, but we lost contact after some of the coaching changes." While there was a brief disconnect, the Minnesota native was able to not only get back in touch with the staff, but he learned that Notre Dame is an option for him during a campus visit Jan. 21. "I'm extremely excited about the of- fer," he said. "With all of the coach- ing changes, I didn't know if it would come or not. They wanted the chance 54 MARCH 2012 wide receiver in the land and the top player in Minnesota Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 205 40-yard dash: 4.75 247Sports Ranking: No. 42 Cretin-Derham Hall High Saint Paul, Minn. to meet as a staff, but [head coach] Brian Kelly decided he wanted to offer on the spot when I talked to him. He was very impressed with me." Onwualu was given a breakdown of how he fits the system during ex- tended meetings with offensive coor- dinator Chuck Martin and wide re- ceivers coach Tony Alford. "All their receivers are extremely explosive," he said. "The coaches feel I fit into that category. I got to watch a little bit of film to see some things they did well during the season and also the things they'd like to change moving forward." 1,092 yards receiving and 17 touch- downs in his junior campaign. Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, North- western, Purdue and Stanford have all offered. Naturally comparisons are going to be made to Floyd, and Onwualu said he views the former Irish player as a role model and being compared to him makes him feel great. He's in- trigued by the fact that a pipeline has been created and says Notre Dame hits a number of the factors in his decision. "It's definitely becoming a small tra- The top prospect in Minnesota had dition for CDH players to be fed to Notre Dame," Onwualu said. "It's a great school, and it opens up a lot of opportunities. Notre Dame is known for its community and loyal fans. That has stood out to me, and I could see myself going there." It's subject to change, but he prefers making a decision by the summer and if that's the case, Notre Dame is in a good position at this point. — Jason Sapp BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED