Notebook: Notre Dame commits earn All-American invites

Notre Dame will be well represented at the top two high school football all-star games in January.

Linebacker David Adams became the latest Irish commit to receive his Under Armour All-America Game jersey on Wednesday. Adams will be joined by quarterback Avery Davis, cornerback Paulson Adebo, tight end Brock Wright and offensive lineman Robert Hainsey in the game.

Tight end Cole Kmet and offensive lineman Josh Lugg have been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Notre Dame’s 2017 class has surpassed the 2016 class by one in terms of roster spots in both games. The 2016 class featured running back Tony Jones Jr., offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer, wide receiver Javon McKinley, defensive end Daelin Hayes and long snapper John Shannon in the Army Bowl and offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg in the Under Armour Game.

The Under Armour All-America Game will take place Sunday, Jan. 1, in Orlando, Fla., and be televised on ESPN. The U.S. Army All-American Bowl will be played Saturday, Jan. 7, in San Antonio and televised on NBC.

Near-perfect Davis

Avery Davis started his senior playoff run on fire. The Irish quarterback commit led Cedar Hill (Texas) High to a 52-17 victory over Waco Midway last week by accounting for six touchdowns.

Davis completed all but one of his 18 pass attempts for 260 yards and four touchdowns. He added 10 rushes for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

Davis and Cedar Hill (9-2) will continue their quest for a state championship on Saturday against Denton Guyer (9-2) in the second round.

Kuntz top eight

The nation’s No. 1 tight end recruit in the 2018 class has Notre Dame on his short list.

Zack Kuntz, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound product of Camp Hill, Pa., released a list of his top eight schools Wednesday on Twitter. Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Stanford and Tennessee all made the cut. Every school on the list except for Stanford has already extended Kuntz a scholarship offer.

The four-star recruit has been a frequent visitor at Notre Dame. He attended home games against Michigan State and Stanford this season in addition to visiting for the Blue-Gold Game in April.

The Irish have commitments from two of the top tight ends in the 2017 class — Brock Wright and Cole Kmet — but are still targeting some of the best players at the position for 2018. 247Sports slates Kuntz as the No. 17 overall recruit in the class regardless of position. Rivals ranks him No. 50 overall.

Los Angeles duo

The plan for wide receiver Jamire Calvin was always to make a visit to Notre Dame after he received an offer from the Irish in June. The plan just hasn’t come to fruition yet.

There should still be hope that Calvin and his teammate, four-star defensive end Hunter Echols, will make a trip to South Bend, but it won’t happen this weekend. Notre Dame’s next big recruiting weekend will likely come around the annual awards banquet on Dec. 9.

Both Calvin and Echols, who team together at Los Angeles Cathedral, made official visits to Oklahoma last weekend. Echols, a current USC commit, previously visited Notre Dame for the Irish Invasion while committed to UCLA.

Rivals ranks Calvin as a four-star recruit and the No. 36 wide receiver in the class. 247Sports slates him as a three-star prospect and the No. 48 wide receiver.

Rivals ranks Echols as the No. 4 weakside defensive end in the 2017 class. 247Sports slates him 14th at the position.

Missed targets

Two longtime Notre Dame targets announced commitments to other schools on Tuesday. Safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell committed to Michigan, and offensive lineman Jedrick Wills committed to Alabama.

Kelly-Powell, a 6-0, 180-pound senior from Detroit Cass Tech, had long been considered likely to become a Wolverine. He made multiple visits to Notre Dame in the last two years, but his last trip to South Bend came back in June.

247Sports slates Kelly-Powell as a four-star recruit and the No. 17 safety in the class. Rivals ranks him as a three-star recruit and the No. 31 safety.

Wills, a 6-5, 315-pound senior from Lexington, Ky., recently told ND Insider he had eliminated the Irish. But Notre Dame still received a spot in his commitment video with Bleacher Report, which featured him trying on different suits that matched his top schools. Wills made trips to Notre Dame each of the last two summers.

Rivals ranks Wills as a five-star prospect and the No. 4 offensive tackle in the 2017 class. 247Sports slates him as a four-star prospect and the No. 9 offensive tackle.

tjames@ndinsider.com

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Twitter: @TJamesNDI