Notebook: Four-star OL Trey Smith set to visit Notre Dame
Harry Hiestand’s pull on the recruiting trail hasn’t waned.
Notre Dame’s offensive line coach has established himself as an efficient and prolific recruiter of offensive linemen in his four years with the Irish.
Hiestand already has added two commitments on the offensive line in the 2017 class with three-star guard Dillan Gibbons and four-star tackle Josh Lugg. He’s working to add to the class by bringing in more visitors.
On Saturday, four-star lineman Trey Smith will become the latest big man to tour campus.
“Trey’s close to a five-star offensive lineman,” said CBS Sports Network recruiting analyst Tom Lemming. “I really like him a lot. He can play tackle or guard. He’s versatile and athletic. Without a doubt, he’s one of top seven offensive tackles in the country.”
247Sports slates Smith as the No. 5 offensive tackle in the 2017 class. Rivals ranks him at No. 32 for the position.
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound recruit has collected offers from the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Stanford and Tennessee through his junior season at University School of Jackson in Tennessee.
Smith will become the ninth offensive lineman with a Notre Dame offer in the 2017 class to visit campus. Six other juniors have reported offers on the offensive line.
Notre Dame will also host four-star wide receiver Isaiah Robertson and three-star athlete Scott Nelson on Saturday. It will be Robertson's second visit to South Bend this year as he tries to land an Irish scholarship offer. He also attended the USC game at Notre Dame last season.
Penn State, Iowa, Maryland, Wisconsin and Illinois are among the top schools to have already offered Robertson. The 6-2, 185-pound prospect also played safety in his junior season at Naperville (Ill.) Neuqua Valley.
Rivals ranks Robertson as the No. 25 wide receiver in the 2017 class. 247Sports has him No. 26 at the position.
Nelson, a 6-1, 180-pound defensive back and wide receiver from University of Detroit Jesuit High School, previously visited Notre Dame for last year's Irish Invasion.
247Sports slates Nelson as the No. 26 safety in the 2017 class. His short offer list has expanded in the last four months to include Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State.
Mustipher surprise
PJ Mustipher and his parents arrived at Notre Dame on Saturday to surprise his older brother, sophomore center Sam Mustipher. The younger Mustipher informed ND Insider of the visit earlier this week but wanted to keep it a secret so his brother wouldn't find out.
The visit also gives the Irish another chance to impress one of the top 2018 defensive linemen in the country. 247Sports recently ranked the 6-5, 275-pound PJ Mustipher as the No. 4 defensive tackle and No. 24 overall in the 2018 class.
Notre Dame has yet to extend an offer to the younger Mustipher, but it will likely happen in the near future. Ohio State joined his offer list, which already includes Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and Tennessee, earlier this week.
More visitors
Three-star recruit Grant Calcaterra visited Notre Dame on Wednesday. The trip to South Bend was part of a Midwest swing for the junior from Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic. He visited Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Michigan and Northwestern in the days prior to his stop at Notre Dame.
The 6-4, 207-pound prospect has yet to receive an offer from the Irish. Projected as a college tight end or wide receiver, Calcaterra might not find a spot in Notre Dame’s class with other positions taking higher priority.
The Irish already have two tight ends committed in the 2017 class — Brock Wright and Cole Kmet — and landed two big receivers in the previous two classes: Chase Claypool in 2016 and Miles Boykin in 2015.
Calcaterra caught 48 passes for 926 yards and nine touchdowns in his junior season paired with Stanford quarterback signee K.J. Costello.
247Sports slates Calcaterra as the No. 14 tight end in the 2017 class. Rivals rates him as the No. 40 athlete in the class.
The Irish also hosted 2017 linebacker prospect James Houston and 2018 quarterback prospect Tadas Tatarunas on Friday. Neither claim Irish offers.
Houston, a 6-1, 225-pound recruit from Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage, reports offers from Clemson, Florida, LSU, Michigan and South Carolina, among others. 247Sports and Rivals rate him as a three-star recruit.
Tatarunas, a 6-4, 200-pound recruit from Mentor (Ohio) High, has yet to receive any scholarships following a sophomore season in which he threw for 2,963 yards and 24 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
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