Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2020 63 FOOTBALL RECRUITING riods where college coaches are al- lowed to travel to prospects' high schools per NCAA rules, Taylor vis- its Weddington High as much as possible. The No. 36 overall pros- pect in the land according to Rivals visited South Bend for the first time last October for the Irish triumph over USC, and according to our count, Taylor has visited Shipley's school seven times to show his high interest in the 5-11, 200-pounder. Shipley's parents went to North Carolina State, but Clemson is the biggest threat to the Irish in his re- cruitment. He's also very interested in Alabama, Duke, Georgia, North- western, Ohio State and Stanford. Shipley will commit to a school be- fore his senior season, and he's ex- pected to visit Notre Dame for the weekend of March 20-22 and take an official visit in the spring as well. Shipley isn't the only running back target for the Irish, and Taylor is recruiting some other guys hard as well. Notre Dame is in the mix for five-star ball carrier Camar Whea- ton, who is Rivals' No. 7 prospect in the land from Garland (Texas) Lakeview Centennial. Wheaton visited South Bend last summer and is looking to take an of- ficial visit to Notre Dame as well. He doesn't plan to commit to a school until around the early signing pe- riod for the 2021 class. Oklahoma, Texas, and other Big 12 and SEC schools are also vying for Wheaton's signature. West Bloomfield (Mich.) High's Donovan Edwards, the No. 59 over- all prospect nationally, is another big target for the Irish. The 5-11, 193-pounder was at Notre Dame in December 2019 and had a great ex- perience on campus. Michigan will be tough to beat for Edwards, and he also holds offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and many others. Cincinnati Roger Bacon's Corey Kiner — the No. 117 overall recruit in the land per Rivals — hasn't vis- ited Notre Dame yet, but the Irish are looking to change that this spring. He's another prospect to keep an eye on. Depending on the timing of the first commit and who it is, Notre Dame may take a second back in the 2021 class. WIDE RECEIVER Players On The 2021 Roster: 9 Projected Take: 3 Notre Dame added two of its very top receiver targets during the USC weekend in October. Pickerington (Ohio) Central's Lorenzo Styles Jr., who is Rivals' No. 37 overall pros- pect nationally, essentially gave the staff a silent commitment in August 2019 and officially announced his decision a couple months later. He was a longtime target for the Fight- ing Irish, and Kelly's squad beat out Ohio State, the local school that his father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., attended. Athens (Ga.) Academy's Deion Colzie, the country's No. 71 overall recruit, also pledged to the Irish that weekend. Notre Dame offered Col- zie last summer following a stand- out showing at a prospect camp, and from that point on, the Irish were the team to beat. Despite having the Bull- dogs in his backyard, Colzie spurned Georgia and picked the Irish. With two excellent playmakers al- ready in the fold, it's looking like Notre Dame will take one more re- ceiver and call it a day. There are several who are possibilities for that spot, and Steilacoom (Wash.) High's Emeka Egbuka, a five-star recruit and the 2021 class' No. 11 overall prospect, is at the top of the wish list. He visited Notre Dame last spring, but the Irish have a lot more work to do in his recruitment. Baltimore Mount St. Joseph pass catcher Dont'e Thornton Jr. partici- pated in a prospect camp at Notre Dame during the summer of 2018 and added the Irish to his long of- fer list last fall. Irish receivers coach Del Alexander has been recruiting him hard and hopes to get the 6-4, 185-pounder back on campus soon. Down in the Peach State, Notre Dame is pursuing Atlanta Pace Acad- emy receiver Jayden Thomas, the No. 122 overall recruit in the land per Rivals. Thomas, who is also an excel- lent baseball player and will likely be drafted by an MLB organization next year, visited Notre Dame last No- vember for the Virginia Tech game and loved his time on campus. The Irish recently sent out an offer to Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons speedster Troy Stellato, who Rivals ranks as the No. 176 overall re- cruit nationally. The 6-1, 175-pounder is nearing 40 scholarship offers and was fired up when Alexander ex- tended him the good news of an offer in January. Look for Stellato to visit Notre Dame in the spring. East Lansing (Mich.) High's Andrel Anthony is high on Michigan, Michi- gan State and Notre Dame. While Rivals ranks him as a three-star pros- pect, Anthony is a big-time, produc- tive playmaker who would be a great catch for the Irish. TIGHT END Players On The 2021 Roster: 4 Projected Take: 1-2 Notre Dame landed a pledge from Hartwell (Ga.) Hart County tight end Cane Berrong, a Rivals four- star talent, last summer. Former of- fensive coordinator Chip Long was Berrong's main point of contact with the Irish, but offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and recruiting coordi- nator Brian Polian have been keeping in contact with the 6-4, 225-pounder. Notre Dame may take one tight end in the class, but the Irish are also open to taking two. The Irish have offers out to Seffner (Fla.) Christian Academy's Michael Trigg and Napa (Calif.) High's Brock Bowers, a pair of four-star recruits per Rivals, and the coaching staff likes their talents Notre Dame beat out Ohio State and many others for Pickerington (Ohio) Central wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr., the No. 37 overall player nationally per Rivals. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM