Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2019 41 FOOTBALL RECRUITING more to his game than just vertical speed. The Burke standout gets to top speed in a hurry, and he shows impressive agility and foot quick- ness, traits that make him an effective route runner. Watts can accelerate past defenders on deep routes, and his second gear combines with his toughness and vi- sion to make him dangerous after the catch. The Skinny: Watts took his first visit to Notre Dame April 10, and the staff made a very strong impression. Nebraska is the presumed favorite, but the Irish are closing fast and have a legit shot to land him. 4. AJ HENNING FRANKFORT (ILL.) LINCOLN WAY EAST BGI Grade: 4.0 star (top-100 cali- ber) Upside Grade: 4.5 star (top-50 caliber) R i v a l s R a n k i n g s : Four-star talent, the No. 2 recruit in Illinois, and the No. 4 all-pur- pose back and No. 110 overall player in the land. Overview: There might not be a more explosive player on this list than Henning, a dynamic athlete who has the ability to get deep, turn short throws into major gains and brings a versatile skill set to the ta- ble. Recruited by Notre Dame as a receiver, Rivals lists Henning as an all-purpose running back, and the ability to line up in the slot and in the backfield makes him a unique weapon. Henning is the smallest player on the board at 5-10 and 170 pounds, but he shows exciting leaping ability and his ball skills are reminiscent of former Irish star Golden Tate. The Skinny: A top target for the Irish, Henning has been to campus several times, but has not made a trip to South Bend yet this spring. Still, Notre Dame is considered a strong contender for his services, along with Illinois and Michigan. 5. TROY OMEIRE SUGAR LAND (TEXAS) FORT BEND AUSTIN BGI Grade: 4.0 star (top-100 cali- ber) Upside Grade: 5.0 star (top-25 cali- ber) R i v a l s R a n k i n g s : Four-star recruit, the No. 10 prospect in Texas, and the No. 16 wide re- ceiver and No. 75 over- all player in the country. Overview: It is rare that a player has the combination of size (6-4, 190), vertical ability and ball skills that this Texas native brings to the game. Omeire is a long strider that covers a lot of ground, which makes him a legit home-run threat. The Fort Bend Austin star is more than willing to work the middle of the field, can make defenders miss after the catch and his length gives him a wide catch radius. The Skinny: Omeire keeps things very quiet in regards to his recruit- ment, but he has announced a final three of Texas, Texas A&M and Notre Dame. Until the Irish can get him on campus they must be considered well behind the in-state schools, but he has an official planned for South Bend in June. 6. MICHAEL REDDING BRADENTON (FLA.) IMG ACADEMY BGI Grade: 4.0 star (top-250 cali- ber) Upside Grade: 4.0 star (top-100 caliber) R i v a l s R a n k i n g s : Four-star talent, the No. 5 player in Florida, and the No. 7 wide re- ceiver and No. 41 overall recruit na- tionally. Overview: Redding brings a com- pletely different skill set to the game than other wideouts on the board. He looks bigger than his listed size of 6-2 and 190 pounds, and he certainly plays bigger. The IMG Academy standout is a physically imposing player that projects more as a chain- mover and red zone weapon. He is also a strong blocker with impressive ability to out-muscle defensive backs. Redding has the one-on-one ability to win as a boundary receiver, and his physicality and blocking ability could thrive in the slot. The Skinny: Redding took his first visit to Notre Dame in March and loved it. The Irish are in the top group, along with Florida State and Purdue, and have a great chance to land the Florida pass catcher. 7. WILL NIXON WACO (TEXAS) MIDWAY BGI Grade: 3.5 star (top-350 caliber) Upside Grade: 4.0 star (top-250 caliber) R i v a l s R a n k i n g s : Three-star prospect. Overview: Nixon is more quick than fast, and in some ways his game reflects that of cur- rent slot receiver Chris Finke. He's a savvy route runner that gets good separation, attacks the football and shows more downfield speed than Finke did at the same age. The 5-11, 175-pounder has a bit of a running back body, and he's a strong player, traits that project him to the slot at the next level. He will line up in the backfield on the prep level, and when he does Nixon shows toughness as a runner, impressive vision and enough burst to turn a crease into a big play. The Skinny: Nixon visited Notre Dame in March and picked up an offer. If the Irish make a push, there's reason to believe he would be intrigued. 8. MALIQ CARR OAK PARK (MICH.) HIGH BGI Grade: 3.5 (top-350 caliber) Upside Grade: 4.0 (top-150 caliber) Rivals Rankings: Four- star recruit, the No. 6 player in Michigan and the No. 49 wide receiver in the nation. Overview: Carr is one of the most physically imposing receivers in the country. Listed at 6-5, Carr is measur- ing in this spring around 230 pounds with the body of a tight end. Some teams have talked to him about play- ing tight end, but Carr is set on being a wideout. In past years Carr would have been a far more important recruit due to his size, strength, ability to win one- on-one plays and his location. But in this class he's down a bit because the staff seems locked in on adding faster players. The Skinny: Carr has Notre Dame in his top five and visited Feb. 23. That has them in the discussion, but right now he is not a top priority for the Irish. ✦