Coaching changes haven't changed WR Jamire Calvin's decision timeline

The postseason coaching carousel has done a doozy on Jamire Calvin’s recruitment.

On Saturday, the four-star wide receiver will make a commitment to one of five schools: Nebraska, Alabama, Notre Dame, Washington State and Oregon State. Unfortunately for Calvin, the wide receivers coaches at Notre Dame, Washington State and Oregon State have all departed in the last month.

Yet Calvin is still ready to make a decision.

“My mind’s pretty much made up,” he said during a phone call from San Antonio, where he’s preparing for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He will make his announcement during the NBC telecast of the game, which begins at 1 p.m. EST.

The coaching changes started when Brent Brennan, Oregon State’s outside receivers coach, was named the head coach at San Jose State. Then JaMarcus Shephard, Washington State’s inside receivers coach, was hired as an assistant coach at Purdue. Most recently, Mike Denbrock, Notre Dame’s associate head coach and wide receivers coach, left the Irish to become the offensive coordinator at Cincinnati.

All three coaches had made in-home visits with Calvin before the dead period started on Dec. 12. Only one school that made an in-home visit hasn’t been affected by coaching change: Nebraska. That’s part of the reason the 247Sports Crystal Ball, which gathers commitment predictions from the recruiting industry, is 100 percent in favor of the Cornhuskers for Calvin.

Alabama, which already has commitments from two wide receivers (Jerry Jeudy and Tyrell Shavers) and appears to be the favorite to land a third (Devonta Smith), may not be pushing for a commitment from Calvin.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound product of Los Angeles Cathedral isn’t showing his hand on a decision, but he was willing to describe why one school beat out the others.

“It’s pretty much where I was most comfortable,” Calvin said, “had the best relationship with the coaches and I think I can get to the next level from there.”

Notre Dame hosted Calvin for his last official visit of 2016. He visited the weekend of the team’s awards show on Dec. 9.

“It was really fun,” Calvin said. “I enjoyed it a lot. It showed me pretty much everything I needed to see.”

Calvin insisted the departure of Denbrock wouldn’t change his opinion of Notre Dame much.

“It will impact it a little, but at the end of the day, Notre Dame — the school, the football, everything — it can’t be taken away by a coach,” he said.

With Denbrock gone, Calvin said head coach Brian Kelly has taken over his recruitment for the Irish.

“It means a lot,” Calvin said. “It shows that they actually care.”

If the Irish are unable to add Calvin, their attention will likely turn to Oliver Martin, a fellow U.S. Army All-American, and a pair of three-star receivers who recently reported offers from Notre Dame: Gavin Holmes of Justin, Texas, and Michael Smith of Vero Beach, Fla.

Notre Dame’s 2017 class includes only one wide receiver commitment, three-star recruit Michael Young, after Jordan Pouncey left the class last week.

tjames@ndinsider.com | 574-235-6214 | Twitter: @TJamesNDI