Notre Dame football adds Texas WR recruit Guyton

The Irish struck in Texas once again. Less than 48 hours after receiving a verbal commitment from a defensive back in the state, Notre Dame added another commitment from wide receiver Jalen Guyton of Allen, Texas. “I was down there a week ago and everything seemed perfect,” Guyton said. “I went ahead and waited to see if I had a clear mindset. A week later, I still feel the same way about it. That's where I want to be and that's where I fit.” The 6-foot, 180-pound Guyton visited Notre Dame on March 21, the last trip of his Midwest swing after visiting Ohio State and Northwestern. He was able to tour the campus and watch the Irish in spring practice. The whole experience left him hooked. “The coaches were cool. I liked their players,” Guyton said. “Their campus, of course, is beautiful. That's why I felt like that was a place to be.” On Sunday, Guyton called Irish assistant coach Kerry Cooks, who leads Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts in Texas, to let him know he wanted to commit. On Monday, Guyton plans to talk with head coach Brian Kelly. In Guyton, the Irish add a three-star prospect from the defending state champion Allen High School. As a junior, Guyton caught 42 passes for 1,028 yards and 13 touchdowns in an undefeated season. He capped that season with four catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the state championship at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium. Rivals ranks Guyton as the No. 43 wide receiver in the 2015 class and the No. 51 prospect in Texas. 247Sports slates him as the No. 77 wide receiver and the No. 79 prospect in Texas. He chose the Irish over a number of offers including Clemson, Stanford, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. When CBS Sports recruiting analyst Tom Lemming went to Allen to see 2015 quarterback Kyler Murray and 2016 offensive lineman Greg Little, head coach Tom Westerberg made sure Lemming saw Guyton as well. “The coach said, ‘You’re going to want to see this kid,’” Lemming recalled. “He brought Guyton out and gave me his film. Guyton is a premier player.” With the commitments of defensive back Prentice McKinney and Guyton, Cooks continued his impressive recruiting run in the state. The Irish signed three prospects from Texas in the 2014 recruiting cycle, all of which held offers from the University of Texas. “He’s doing well,” Lemming said. “Kerry Cooks is now up there with Harry Hiestand, Mike Denbrock and Tony Alford, which gives Notre Dame four real good recruiters which really helps them. You have to have guys that go after elite players.” Guyton becomes the fifth member of Notre Dame’s 2015 recruiting class. He joins quarterback Blake Barnett and linemen Tristen Hoge and Jerry Tilley on the offensive side of the ball. "I'm excited to be committed,” Guyton said. “I can't wait to finish my high school career and start the next chapter.” Watch highlights of Guyton here. Barajas chooses Penn State New Penn State head coach James Franklin made his first impact on the Notre Dame recruiting scene on Sunday when he received a verbal commitment from linebacker Josh Barajas. The 6-3, 212-pound Barajas committed to Penn State following a weekend visit to State College. “After a long and stressful recruiting process, I'm truly blessed to say I'm committing to Penn State!! It's time to takeover baby #WeAre,” Barajas tweeted on Sunday. Arguably the top 2015 prospect in the state of Indiana, Barajas received an offer from the Irish on March 1. Since then, Notre Dame appeared to be the favorite to eventually land the four-star prospect. All 31 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions pointed Barajas to the Irish before Sunday’s decision. 247Sports slates Barajas as the top prospect in Indiana, the No. 2 inside linebacker in the country and No. 152 overall in the 2015 recruiting class. Rivals ranks Barajas as the No. 2 prospect in the state, the No. 11 outside linebacker prospect and No. 191 overall. Barajas recorded 92 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions as a junior for Class 3-A state champion Andrean in Merriville, Ind., a Catholic school roughly 70 miles west of Notre Dame. He also holds offers from Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon, among others. The Irish can’t officially lose out on Barajas until he signs with Penn State next February, but they’ll have some work to do if they want to flip his commitment.