2016 CB recruit Julian Love waiting on Notre Dame offer
Two things remain on Julian Love’s Notre Dame to-do list after visiting campus Tuesday: meet head football coach Brian Kelly and receive a scholarship offer from the Irish.
Love did just about everything else a recruit can do on a February visit to South Bend.
He spoke at length with ND assistant coaches Mike Elston, Brian VanGorder and Todd Lyght. He met with fellow Chicago-area products Nyles Morgan and Micah Dew-Treadway. He toured the Guglielmino Athletics Complex. He even caught the Irish men’s basketball team playing Syracuse at Purcell Pavilion.
“It was a very good visit,” Love said. “It went very well.”
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound cornerback also left campus optimistic about eventually receiving an offer.
“The signs are very good,” Love said. “It could come very soon. They made that apparent. I'm excited to meet with coach Brian Kelly on March 21.”
Love plans to return for Notre Dame’s first junior day of the spring, an invitation-only recruiting event of sorts. He made sure to make room for the Irish in a busy March visit schedule. He will also take trips to Illinois and Indiana that month.
This time Love visited Notre Dame with his parents as well as Irish wide receiver signee Miles Boykin. Both players train with Core 6 Athletes in the Chicago area and know each other well.
“It was fun. We were joking about stuff the entire time,” Love said. “He was telling me that it's such a good place for me. Everybody is like me personality-wise. I really noticed that while I was on the visit and talking to players. They're very cool guys and down-to-earth.”
Notre Dame’s interest in Love started to get serious in early February. After Love was part of a state championship run to cap his junior season at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Ill., the Irish were one of a number of coaching staffs to take notice of him. His offer total recently hit 10, with Northwestern, Iowa, Boston College, Buffalo and Kansas each serving Love a scholarship offer since the start of 2015.
Love played a variety of positions for Nazareth Academy but will likely be best-suited to play cornerback in college. Some of his best work
as a junior came on the offensive side of the ball. He needed just 71 carries to tally 749 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 20 passes for 547 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
His scoring carried over to defense. Love returned three interceptions for touchdowns.
One of his better defensive performances came in the Class 6-A state championship game against Lemont. Love was tasked with covering wide receiver Flynn Nagel, who signed with Northwestern in February, and limited Nagel to only six catches for 70 yards. Nagel came into the game with 87 catches, 1,361 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Love has started to soak up the recruiting process after focusing primarily on football and academics in the fall.
“I wasn't worried about all these offers during the season,” Love said. “I just worried about my team and trying to get to the championship and winning the championship, which we accomplished. I've worked really hard on my technique on the field, and I've really worked hard in school on my grades."
Recruiting services remain lukewarm on Love’s talents as a three-star prospect. Rivals ranks him as the No. 30 cornerback in the country. 247Sports hasn’t pinpointed a position for Love and slates him as the No. 30 athlete.
His status could climb as more offers trickle his way. He will be active in the offseason camp and seven-on-seven circuit. This weekend he’s headed with Core 6 for the Pylon Elite Camps National Championship seven-on-seven tournament in Las Vegas.
"They've helped me compete a lot,” Love said. “Before I was just competing with guys in my area that I had played with already. Core 6 brought me to a statewide and nationwide level.”
Soon, Love will learn if he’s reached Notre Dame’s level.
Below are highlights of Love's junior season via Hudl.
tjames@ndinsider.com | 574-235-6214 | Twitter: @TJamesNDI
