Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/531612
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 159 TERRIFIC 20 FOR 2016 SAFETY BRANDON BURTON 6-1, 191 • GARDENA, CALIF. • JUNIPERO SERRA H.S. RIVALS RANKING: Listed as a four-star tal- ent, the No. 7 recruit in Cali- fornia, and the No. 2 athlete and No. 35 overall prospect in the nation. THE SKINNY: Safety is one of the biggest needs this re- cruiting cycle for the Irish, and Burton is one of the top targets on the board … He doesn't have any leaders at the moment, but plans to take an official visit to Florida State in October. Notre Dame could be in line to get a visit, as well … Burton is being recruited as an athlete but projects best in the secondary. LAMAR JACKSON 6-3, 207 • ELK GROVE, CALIF. • FRANKLIN H.S. RIVALS RANKING: Tabbed as a four-star pros- pect, the No. 12 recruit in California, and the No. 6 safety and No. 81 overall player nationally. THE SKINNY: Jackson burst onto the national scene af- ter a strong spring evalua- tion period, and Notre Dame took notice by offering him a scholarship … While he claims to have no leaders, the four schools that were sticking out early in July were USC, UCLA, Oregon and Notre Dame … Jackson has stated in the past that he would like to visit Notre Dame at some point dur- ing the recruiting process and is a fan of Irish offensive coordinator Mike Sanford, who is his area recruiter. IKENNA OKEKE 6-2, 195 • SMYRNA, TENN. • SMYRNA H.S. RIVALS RANKING: Pegged as a three-star recruit, the No. 11 prospect in Tennessee and the No. 33 safety in the country. THE SKINNY: Notre Dame coaches passed through Smyrna High twice during the spring evalu- ation period to see Okeke … He lives in the heart of SEC country, but remains high on the Irish and was on campus for the Irish Invasion in June … A strong visit could have Notre Dame as the team to beat. DEVIN STUDSTILL 6-1, 183 • PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA. PALM BEACH GARDENS H.S. RIVALS RANKING: Listed as a three-star pros- pect, the No. 51 player in Florida and the No. 48 safety in the land. THE SKINNY: Studstill was offered by Notre Dame as a high school sophomore and has been a target for the Irish ever since … His father played quarter- back at West Virginia, but the Mountain- eers haven't gained much traction … The Irish on the other hand have made inroads in large part because of 2015 linebacker signee Te'von Coney, who also played at Palm Beach Gardens. ✦ *Use Promo Code: ND30 BlueAndGold.com Football Recruiting Is HERE! * Daily Team Coverage Go behind the scenes with exclusive coverage on the Irish throughout the season. Expert Analysis In-depth analysis by our seasoned experts in the field. Recruiting Scoop Breaking news, team and individual rankings, features on every commit- ment, over 10 years of archived recruiting information. Prospect Videos See all of tomorrow's top Irish prospects in action on our top quality prospect videos. Expert Message Boards Interact with other Notre Dame fans across the country and discuss the state of the Irish. BlueAndGold.com Mobile Providing you the best coverage of Notre Dame Football, Basketball, Recruiting and Sports – on the go!