Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2018 73 FOOTBALL RECRUITING St. Louis St. John Vianney standout Kyren Williams is listed as a three- star wide receiver, but the Irish staff likes him as a running back. They will also try to make a push for the nation's No. 50 player in Oak- land (Calif.) Bishop O'Dowd four- star Austin Jones, Buford (Ga.) High four-star Derrian Brown and Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity athlete Steele Chambers, who ESPN ranks as the nation's No. 248 overall player. WIDE RECEIVER Players On The 2018 Roster: 11 Projected Take: 2-3 Only one of Notre Dame's 11 re- turning receivers runs out of eligibil- ity after the 2018 season. The Irish staff also brought in a dynamic four- man group in the 2018 class that ranks among the best in the country. The skill of the incoming class and the remaining depth mean Notre Dame's focus at the position for 2019 will be on adding impact figures. Notre Dame had a pair of ultra-tal- ented West Coast receivers on cam- pus in January, and both will be top priorities for the staff. Scottsdale (Ariz.) Notre Dame Prep star Jake Smith, the nation's No. 164 overall player according to Rivals, is a dynamic athlete that will receive a great deal of attention from the staff. During his junior campaign, Smith racked up 1,135 rushing yards (9.6 per carry), recorded 1,055 receiving yards on just 33 receptions and to- taled 26 touchdowns on offense. Folsom (Calif.) High four-star Joseph Ngata dominated as a junior, hauling in 81 passes for 1,777 yards and 26 touchdowns. Combin- ing outstanding size and top-level athleti- cism, Ngata is ranked by ESPN as the nation's No. 48 overall player, and he's a top target for the Irish staff. Notre Dame hosted T h o m p s o n s S t a t i o n (Tenn.) Independence wide receiver TJ Shef- field in January, the No. 89 overall player in the land according to ESPN. Sheffield is only 5-10 and 165 pounds, but he's an elusive figure that can make huge yardage after the catch. Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Blackman four-star receiver Trey Knox, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran four-star Kyle Ford and Indianapolis Warren Central four-star David Bell are three Ri- vals100 wideouts that Notre Dame is working on as well. TIGHT END Players On The 2018 Roster: 6 Projected Take: 1 Notre Dame has recruited tight end as well as any team in the coun- try the last two cycles, adding three players ranked by Rivals as four-star prospects and another — 2018 signee Tommy Tremble — that received a five-star upside grade on the Blue & Gold Illustrated Big Board. Only one of Notre Dame's return- ing tight ends — fifth-year senior Nic Weishar — is out of eligibility after the 2018 season, although the staff must be prepared to lose rising se- nior Alizé Mack as well. Cole Kmet and Brock Wright will be sophomores, and there's a good chance that both George Takacs and Tremble will redshirt in 2018, which means the need at tight end is simi- lar to receiver for 2019, with a focus more on top-end talent than depth needs. Notre Dame hosted the nation's No. 1 tight end in January when Little Rock (Ark.) Pulaski Academy four-star Hudson Henry made it to campus as part of a Midwestern swing. A teammate of 2018 signee Luke Jones and the younger brother of former Arkansas All-American tight end Hunter Henry, now with the Los Angeles Chargers, Henry will be a top target for many teams, including both the Irish and Razor- backs. Notre Dame had Bellflower (Ca- lif.) St. John Bosco three-star blocker Jude Wolfe on campus in January. In a strong year for tight ends on the West Coast, Notre Dame has also of- fered Orange (Calif.) Lutheran four- star Ethan Rae and Concord (Calif.) De La Salle four-star Isaiah Foskey, a pair of Rivals250 players. OFFENSIVE LINE Players On The 2018 Roster: 13 Projected Take: 4-5 Notre Dame has recruited the of- fensive line at an extremely high level the last six years, but with for- mer position coach Harry Hiestand off to the NFL there remains some debate about whether or not that will continue. The Irish will lose only two players from the current depth chart after next season, and it signed a solid four-man group in 2018. However, it is a deep year for offensive line- men in traditionally pro- Notre Dame areas and overall nationally, so the Irish will have every op- portunity to meet their needs. The two pure tackle signees in the 2018 class — Cole Mabry and Jar- rett Patterson — are ath- letic players with good length. Complementing them with a couple of bigger players whose game is more about brute force would be an ideal pairing. Notre Dame's top two targets along the line are Quarterback commitment Cade McNamara of Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch High has thrown for 7,047 yards and 90 touchdowns over his last two seasons. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM