Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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86 PRESEASON 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP • Two defensive line targets headline the early visitors list for the Temple game on Sept. 2. Baltimore Gilman four-star defensive end Thomas Booker will make a return trip to South Bend after visiting this spring. Notre Dame and Stanford are considered the top two programs for Booker, with the Cardinal being the perceived leader following a summer offer. The Irish will continue to push hard and will get the first opportunity to impress Booker, who ranks as the No. 212 player nationally by Rivals. Conroe (Texas) Oak Ridge defensive end Joseph Ossai will also be on campus for the Temple game. The three- star prospect has Notre Dame in his top three along with Texas and Texas A&M. It will be Ossai's first time on campus. • The offensive side is the featured group early on for the Georgia game, with the Irish hosting a five-star of- fensive lineman and their top tight end target. Atlanta Pace guard Jamaree Salyer, the nation's top offensive guard and No. 10 overall player in the senior class according to Rivals, will make his fourth trip to South Bend, and the Irish hope to pull the talented inte- rior lineman from the South. Clemson and Georgia are believed to be the top con- tenders, with programs such as Notre Dame, Alabama, Stanford and Ohio State in the mix as well. Fellow Peach State product Tommy Tremble, the na- tion's No. 11 tight end, is also planning to make the trip, and it will be his second time in South Bend. The Nor- cross (Ga.) Wesleyan standout visited over the summer, and left with the Irish on top and plans to make a deci- sion before his senior football season started. Much has changed since then, and Tremble will take his decision into the fall with a top six of Notre Dame, Georgia, UCLA, Tennessee, South Carolina and Fresno State. The Irish and in-state Bulldogs appear to be the top two for the three-star recruit heading into the fall. • Notre Dame expanded the board at offensive line Aug. 2, offering Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei guard Chris Murray. The focus seemed to be Salyer or bust on the interior for the Irish, but the transfers of Tristen Hoge and Parker Boudreaux created a spot to offer Murray. The Irish will look to get an official visit this fall from the four-star Murray and is battling the likes of Stanford, UCLA, Utah, Vanderbilt, TCU, Arizona and California, among others. • Adding edge talent to the defensive line class re- mains a top priority for the Irish, who hosted Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy four-star Jayson Oweh twice over the summer. A summer decision between Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State seemed likely, but the nation's No. 179 overall prospect per Rivals announced he would reveal his decision on Jan. 1 during the Under Armour All- America Game. Those three programs will get official visits this fall and battle it out to land the athletic pass rusher. The de- lay could benefit the Irish after it appeared Oweh would head elsewhere if he decided over the summer. Now each program can put their respective product on the field for Oweh to see. — Corey Bodden and David McKinney Follow @BGI_CoreyBodden and @BGI_DMcKinney on Twitter for daily recruiting updates available on BlueandGold.com! Recruiting Notes Notre Dame will host Baltimore Gilman product Thomas Booker, Rivals' No. 212 senior in the country, for an official visit Sept. 2. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM The Irish is in the top six for Norcross (Ga.) Wesleyan three-star tight end Tommy Tremble, the nation's No. 19 2018 prospect at his position. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM