Notebook: Notre Dame LB commit Jack Lamb sidelined with knee injury
Jack Lamb’s first game as a Notre Dame commit didn’t go as planned.
The senior linebacker at Temecula (Calif.) Great Oak was knocked out of the first half of his season opener with a left knee injury. An MRI early this week revealed a partial tear in his patella.
Lamb said Wednesday that recovery from the injury won’t require surgery. He expects to be sidelined six-to-eight weeks.
The rehab process won’t prevent Lamb from making his official visit to Notre Dame for the Georgia game next weekend. It will be Lamb’s first trip to campus since June. He committed to the Irish in July.
Rivals recently moved Lamb up to the No. 2 inside linebacker recruit in the 2018 class. 247Sports slates him as the No. 7 inside linebacker. Both sites peg him as a four-star recruit.
Gervin to visit
Kalon Gervin’s interest in Notre Dame isn’t dead.
The four-star cornerback dropped his commitment to the Irish in May, but recently expressed a desire to return to Notre Dame for a visit this season.
The 5-foot-10, 179-pound product of Detroit Cass Tech reached out to defensive backs coach Todd Lyght earlier this week. After the two spoke, Gervin said Wednesday he plans to make two visits to Notre Dame: an unofficial visit for the Georgia game and an official visit when USC visits.
When Gervin released a top five in June, the Irish didn’t make the list. The focus of his recruitment had turned to Louisville, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia Tech. Gervin then made trips to Oregon, Alabama and Virginia Tech this summer.
Now, if Gervin sticks to his plan, the Irish will be the first team to host him for a game visit this season. Gervin's also scheduled for an official visit to Oklahoma on Sept. 16.
Notre Dame’s need for cornerbacks remains the same as when Gervin ended his commitment of nearly three months to the Irish. A year after signing zero cornerbacks in the 2017 class, Notre Dame’s 2018 class includes zero cornerback commitments.
Notre Dame has found some traction at cornerback with Donte Burton, a three-star recruit who visited in July. But the majority of cornerbacks showing interest in the Irish aren’t as touted as Gervin.
Rivals ranks Gervin as the No. 14 cornerback in the 2018 class. 247Sports slates him No. 18 at the position.
Hot QBs
If the first week of the season is any indication, get ready to see some ridiculous numbers coming from Notre Dame’s quarterback commitments.
Phil Jurkovec, a senior at Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland, and Cade McNamara, a junior at Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch, combined for 650 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, 124 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in their first games of the season.
Jurkovec made his debut in a nationally televised game Sunday on ESPN. He completed 14 of his 20 passes (70 percent) for 250 yards and three touchdowns. He added 106 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He played less than three quarters and built a 41-0 lead against Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne.
Last season, Wayne reached the quarterfinals of the Ohio state tournament in the highest division. MaxPreps ranked Wayne as the No. 7 team in Ohio entering the 2017 season.
McNamara doesn’t typically play against the same level of competition as Jurkovec at Pine-Richland. Regardless, McNamara’s numbers are still eye-catching.
The younger Irish commit completed 27 of his 40 passes (67.5 percent) for 400 yards and four touchdowns in his opener. McNamara also rushed seven times for 18 yards and one touchdown.
New offers
Uncertainty in the 2018 class hasn’t stopped Notre Dame from
evaluating 2019 cornerbacks.
This week, junior cornerbacks Jalen Perry and Isaiah Rutherford reported offers from the Irish.
Perry reported his Notre Dame offer Monday. As a sophomore at Dacula (Ga.) High, he recorded 40
tackles, 11 pass breakups and five interceptions. On offense he rushed for 174
yards and one touchdown and caught six passes for 65 yards.
Before receiving an offer from Notre Dame, Perry had claimed offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Stanford, Auburn and more.
247Sports slates Perry (6-1, 185) as the No. 6 cornerback in
the 2019 class. Rivals ranks him 11th at the position.
Rutherford added his Notre Dame offer Wednesday night. The Irish became only the fourth school on his offer list behind Alabama, Oregon State and Colorado.
The 6-1, 163-pound recruit has played a number of positions at Carmichael (Calif.) Jesuit. Last season, he rushed for 663 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 25 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns.
Rivals ranks Rutherford as a three-star recruit and the No. 28 athlete in the 2019 class. 247Sports has yet to rate him.
tjames@ndinsider.com
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