Notebook: Three commits plan to enroll early at Notre Dame

Three Notre Dame commits remain on track to join the Irish

in January: defensive end Khalid Kareem, safety Spencer Perry and wide receiver Kevin Stepherson.

All three senior recruits have expressed plans to graduate early in order to enroll at Notre Dame next month. Notre Dame’s spring semester starts Jan. 12.

A pair of top Notre Dame targets — safety Devin Studstill and linebacker Daelin Hayes — have also declared their intentions to enroll early at the school of their choice. Hayes plans to announce his commitment next Thursday.

Notre Dame has had at least two mid-year enrollees every year since the first group of freshmen enrolled a semester early in January 2006 under former head coach Charlie Weis.

Four freshmen joined Notre Dame last January: defensive tackles Jerry Tillery and Micah Dew-Treadway, linebacker Te’von Coney and center Tristen Hoge. Tillery started three games and saw action in all 12 games. Coney played mostly on special teams in 11 games, and Dew-Treadway and Hoge didn’t see the field.

Recruiting trail stops

Notre Dame’s coaching staff continued to span the country this week to meet with recruits during the contact period. The following 2016 recruits have confirmed visits from the Irish coaching staff. The Irish coaches have also visited schools with top 2017 recruits, but contact is prohibited by the NCAA.

Tuesday:

WR target Javon McKinley (Corona, Calif.) — head coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford

WR target Damian Alloway (Fontana, Calif.) – Kelly and Sanford

CB commit Donte Vaughn (Memphis, Tenn.) — recruiting coordinator Mike Elston

CB target Eric Cuffee (Waco, Texas) — defensive backs coach Todd Lyght

OL commit Liam Eichenberg (Cleveland) — offensive line coach Harry Hiestand

CB target Troy Pride Jr. (Greer, S.C.) — running backs coach Autry Denson

ATH Brandon Burton (Gardena, Calif.) — associate head coach Mike Denbrock, defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder

Wednesday:

LB target Jeffrey McCulloch (Houston) — Kelly and Elston

DE commit Julian Okwara (Charlotte, N.C.) — defensive line coach Keith Gilmore

S Jalen Elliott (Chesterfield, Va.) — tight ends coach Scott Booker

RB commit Tony Jones Jr., S commit Spencer Perry (Bradenton, Fla.) — Denson

OL commit Tommy Kraemer (Cincinnati) — Hiestand

CB target Damar Hamlin (Pittsburgh) — Lyght

Thursday:

RB commit Deon McIntosh (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) — Kelly and Denson

S target Devin Studstill (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) — Kelly and Denson

LB target Jonathan Jones (Orlando, Fla.) — Elston

ATH target Demetris Robertson (Savannah, Ga.) — Booker and Denbrock

tjames@ndinsider.com

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