Fleet recruit Humphrey adds Notre Dame to list

John Humphrey has speed to burn and the confidence to back it up.

In his Twitter bio, Humphrey calls himself the fastest athlete in the country. His self-proclaimed fact could be disputed, but few coaches are arguing with the speed he’s shown on the football field.

Last month, Notre Dame added itself to the list of schools trying to catch the junior athlete from League City (Texas) Clear Falls. Late on Feb. 18, Humphrey gave Irish secondary coach Kerry Cooks a call and learned about the offer. Humphrey’s reaction startled the rest of his family, who had already gone to bed.

“I was excited. I woke up everybody,” Humphrey said. “My family was really excited that they were offering me. That was a big night for the Humphreys.”

The speedy wide receiver and potential return specialist boasts flashy numbers that raise eyebrows. He’s reportedly run 40-yard dashes in the 4.2-second range and claims personal bests of 10.32 in the 100 meters and a 21.4 in the 200.

More importantly, Humphrey has translated that speed into highlights on the field. Last season, he caught 66 passes for 816 yards and scored six touchdowns on offense.

From his conversations with Cooks, Humphrey envisions himself staying on that side of the ball in college.

"They really want me on the offensive side of the ball, because they know I'm a game-changer, and that's what they're really looking for,” Humphrey said.

Still, he knows that he needs to develop his game beyond pure speed. Humphrey lists strength and route-running as two traits that need the biggest improvement.

He’s also spent some time playing defensive back at Clear Falls.

“To tell you the truth, I'm an athlete, so I’ll play wherever they want to put me,” Humphrey said.

247Sports slates Humphrey as the No. 36 athlete in the nation and the No. 48 player in Texas. Rivals ranks him as the nation’s No. 73 wide receiver and No. 79 in Texas.

The three-star prospect continues to receive attention from new programs every week. Humphrey added California, Arkansas and Boston College to his list last week. Offers from ND, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Ole Miss highlighted February.

As the offers pile up, Humphrey hasn’t started to worry about which schools are building a lead in his recruitment. He’d rather sort things out somewhere down the line.

“I'm just enjoying the whole recruiting process and soaking it all in,” Humphrey said.

He does, however, hope to make a visit to Notre Dame at some point this year.

“I think I'm going to come up there in the summer time, but I know I want to take an official visit up there,” he said.

At that point, Humphrey will be able to determine how the Irish match his picture of an ideal college.

“I'm looking for a school that has what I want to major in, which is in the medical field, and another factor would be the surroundings,” Humphrey said. “I don't want to be at a college where it's only the college and no other town or attractions.”

With speed like Humphrey’s, he could be the main attraction wherever he lands.

Watch highlights of Humphrey here.

Tyler James: 574-235-6214

Twitter: @TJamesNDI