Notre Dame out of the running for LB recruit Brendan Ferns

ND out for Ferns

A January visit to Notre Dame appeared to be a possibility for linebacker Brendan Ferns, but he confirmed Tuesday that he’s no longer considering the Irish.

Ferns, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound prospect from St. Clairsville, Ohio, will make an official visit to West Virginia on Jan. 16 and Penn State on Jan. 30 before committing to one of those two schools. The weekend between the two visits will be spent with his family at his sister’s basketball tournament.

Notre Dame made a late push for Ferns, a four-star recruit, but he decided to stick with his two finalists after reconsidering his options. A focus in petroleum engineering has been a big factor in his interest with West Virginia and Penn State.

“What brought it down to two originally was proximity to home and my major,” Ferns said. “Once I started getting back into it, I learned Notre Dame had something close. I went back to what I felt at first and that’s why I kept it to those two.”

247Sports slates Ferns as the No. 2 inside linebacker in the 2016 class. Rivals ranks him as the No. 17 outside linebacker.