Decisions ahead for Notre Dame football recruits
Notre Dame will learn its fate with four recruiting targets in a two-day span.
On Tuesday, quarterback Travis Waller is set to announce his commitment at 1 p.m. (EDT). Oregon appears to be the favorite for the Anaheim, Calif., native with Notre Dame, Northwestern, Ohio State and Alabama as other finalists.
The 6-3, 190-pound Waller never made a visit to South Bend in June after receiving an offer from the Irish. 247Sports slates Waller as the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the class. Rivals ranks him No. 5 at the position. Both rate him as a four-star prospect.
The action will move to the Midwest on Wednesday with linebacker Justin Hilliard, defensive end Jashon Cornell and wide receiver Miles Boykin scheduled to announce their decisions independently.
Hilliard, the 6-2, 225-pound recruit from Cincinnati St. Xavier, will choose from a top five of Ohio State, Notre Dame, Iowa, Alabama and Michigan. Versatility is a strong point. 247Sports slates him as a five-star prospect and the No. 1 outside linebacker in the class. Rivals rates him as a four-star prospect and the No. 1 inside linebacker.
Cornell, the 6-4, 260-pound prospect from St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall, will pick from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Iowa and Michigan State. 247Sports slates him as a five-star prospect and the No. 5 weakside defensive end in the 2015 class. Rivals rates him as a four-star prospect and the No. 6 strongside defensive end.
Both Hilliard and Cornell have scheduled press conferences at their high schools for 10 a.m. (EDT). ESPN.com will have live streaming video from both announcements. The two have previously discussed playing together in college and it would not be a surprise to see them commit to the same school.
Boykin, 6-4, 212-pound recruit from New Lenox (Ill.) Providence Catholic, will announce his decision at 8 p.m. (EDT). Notre Dame, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State and Missouri are all in the running for Boykin. Rivals ranks him as the No. 10 wide receiver in the class. 247Sports slates him No. 34 at the position. Both rate him as a four-star prospect.
Recent offers
Two more recruits reported offers from Notre Dame following its summer camp sessions in June. The Irish should be contenders for both prospects.
DE Auston Robertson, 6-5, 230; Fort Wayne (Ind.) Wayne: A former wide receiver, the 2016 prospect switched positions this offseason and it has already paid dividends. He now holds offers from Notre Dame, Indiana, Akron and Toledo. 247Sports rates him as a three-star prospect and the No. 18 weakside defensive end in the class.
CB Ashton White, 5-11, 182; Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara: Once a Virginia Tech commit, White camped at Notre Dame to earn an offer he coveted. The three-star 2015 prospect also holds offers from Ohio State, Maryland and Virginia, among others. 247Sports slates him as the No. 43 athlete in the class. Rivals ranks him as the No. 21 player in Maryland.
TJames1@SBTinfo.com | 574-235-6214 | Twitter: @TJamesNDI
