WR Miles Boykin makes three commitments in as many days for Notre Dame

Notre Dame slowly won over Miles Boykin.

Five visits later, the 2015 wide receiver prospect committed to the Irish.

A 6-foot-4, 212-pound rising senior at Providence Catholic in New Lenox, Ill., Boykin announced his commitment on Twitter late Tuesday night with the caps lock key engaged.

“I HAVE OFFICIALLY COMMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME!!! #GOIRISH #ShamrockSoldiers15,” Boykin tweeted.

Boykin’s commitment marked the third in three days for Notre Dame and arrived on the heels of pledges Monday from running back Josh Adams and Tuesday from cornerback Ashton White. Boykin joins Jalen Guyton and C.J. Sanders as the third wide receiver in Notre Dame’s 2015 class and gives the Irish 17 current pledges.

Boykin spent the night at Notre Dame on his last trip to South Bend on June 14. It was his fourth of the year after making his first visit for the BYU game in November.

“Each time I went it got better and better for me,” Boykin said. “After my last visit I knew I wanted to be there, so it was time to end the process.”

The commitment celebration Wednesday night included going out to dinner with his mother. A familiar feeling of home helped Boykin decide on Notre Dame.

“It’s a lot like my high school I go to now,” Boykin said. “It’s very similar with the way that education comes first and football comes second. I really love the football tradition there.”

Boykin’s commitment came hours after the Irish lost out on two top targets, linebacker Justin Hilliard and defensive end Jashon Cornell, who committed to Ohio State on Wednesday morning. All three announcements unfolded as planned. Boykin chose the Irish from a top six that included Michigan State, Michigan, Florida, Missouri and Illinois.

“No surprise that Miles Boykin committed to Notre Dame,” said Steve Wiltfong, 247Sports director of recruiting. “I think his mind was made up before he visited Michigan State last weekend.”

Boykin, a four-star prospect, gives the Irish a bigger receiver to complement the smaller Guyton and Sanders. CBS Sports Network recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said Boykin possesses a skill set that’s scarce on Notre Dame’s roster.

“He does a great job of protecting the ball with his body and he can run after the catch, which is really good,” Lemming said. “Notre Dame doesn’t have a lot of those guys. He has a 35-inch vertical (leap). He brings a unique blend of size, long arms, strong hands and 4.5 speed.”

Rivals ranks Boykin as the No. 10 wide receiver in the 2015 class. 247Sports slates him No. 34 at the position. Both place him as a top three player in Illinois.

Boykin’s combination of abilities convinced Lemming that comparisons to former Irish wide receivers Michael Floyd and Jeff Samardzija aren’t unreasonable when considering Boykin’s potential ceiling.

“He’s a very good wide receiver,” Lemming said. “He’s a great red-zone threat. He has really good height, and he has very deceptive speed for his size. He’s the No. 1 player in the Chicago area and one of the top two in the state of Illinois.”

The Irish hold commitments from all three recruiting targets in Illinois. It’s an important haul, Wiltfong said, to reclaim territory in the Midwest.

“Notre Dame doesn’t have a lot of guys that they can go recruit in their backyard,” Wiltfong said. “When they go after a guy in Chicago, they should be able to close at a high rate. They certainly have in this class.”

Notre Dame’s recruiting class ranks No. 7 in 2015 team rankings by both Rivals and 247Sports. Alabama, Texas A&M, Clemson, South Carolina, Penn State and Auburn are the only schools with higher-rated class.

OSU thievery

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer pulled off two significant recruiting victories when linebacker Justin Hilliard and defensive end Jashon Cornell announced commitments Wednesday morning to the Buckeyes. At one point, Notre Dame was the perceived leader for both prospects from schools with ties to the Irish.

Hilliard, a 6-2, 225-pounder from Cincinnati St. Xavier, chose Ohio State over Notre Dame, Iowa, Alabama and Michigan.

247Sports slates Hilliard as a five-star prospect and the nation’s top outside linebacker for 2015. Rivals ranks him as a four-star recruit and the nation’s top inside linebacker.

Cornell, a 6-4, 260-pounder from St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall, chose Ohio State over Notre Dame, Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa.

247Sports slates Cornell as a five-star prospect and the nation’s No. 5 weakside defensive end. Rivals rates him as a four-star recruit and the No. 6 strongside defensive end.

TJames1@SBTinfo.com | 574-235-6214 | Twitter: @TJamesNDI