WR recruit Jeremiah Holloman ready to experience Notre Dame's tradition

Notre Dame was barely on Jeremiah Holloman’s radar six months ago.

The Irish didn’t end up offering the 2017 wide receiver recruit until April of this year. Even then, Holloman didn’t realize how relevant Notre Dame would become in his recruit.

“I never really thought I’d be as interested as I am in them like I am today,” Holloman said before making the trip to South Bend this weekend for his first official visit. “The relationship has been built. They offered me a little late, but when they came in they’ve been really keeping up with it and picked up the slack. We’ve been talking frequently. It’s been pretty good.”

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Holloman named head coach Brian Kelly, wide receivers coach Mike Denbrock and tight ends coach Scott Booker, who recruits in Georgia for the Irish, as Notre Dame coaches he keeps in contact with regularly. They’ve sold him on being a go-to wide receiver in their offense.

“They all feel like I have what it takes to be that next level type of receiver,” Holloman said. “The things that they’ve instilled in some other players, they’ll be able to put into me. They have a good reputation of sending people off to the league. They feel like I really have what it takes to make it there. It’s a pretty good relationship.”

Opinions on Holloman vary greatly in the recruiting rankings industry. 247Sports slates Holloman as a four-star recruit and the No. 11 wide receiver in the 2017 class. Rivals rates him as a three-star prospect and the No. 41 athlete.

At the start of his senior season at Covington (Ga.) Newton, Holloman has provided productivity for those who question his upside. In just three games, Holloman has tallied 17 catches for 337 yards and four touchdowns.

Holloman named 12 schools as his leaders in July with Tennessee, Miami, Georgia, Penn State, Notre Dame, Auburn, Michigan State, LSU, Oklahoma State, USC, North Carolina and Oregon all making the list. He has eyes on all of those schools, especially how each one operates its offense.

“Best way to recruit a wide receiver is by throwing the ball,” Holloman tweeted on Sunday. He came away from watching Notre Dame’s loss to Texas during the opening weekend impressed by the way quarterback DeShone Kizer spread the ball around to multiple receivers. Notre Dame threw for 238 yards in the game.

Now Holloman, who will arrive on campus Saturday morning with his parents, is ready to experience Notre Dame beyond what he can see on a screen.

“Notre Dame’s pretty big on tradition. Getting a chance to just be around the atmosphere is something I’m looking forward to,” Holloman said. “Everyone there really excels academically. They really have a good background support with that.”

A commitment decision likely remains far in the distance. Holloman currently only has one other visit scheduled – Miami on Oct. 8 when the Hurricanes host Florida State — but he plans to use all five official visits. He’s in search of a certain feeling that will separate one school from the rest.

“Getting there and having a comfortable feeling about the school, having a good relationship with the coaches, because those are the people I’ll be around, and knowing the players very well,” Holloman said, “Those are things I want to be able to establish when I go on a visit.”

Below are highlights from one of Holloman's games this season via Hudl.