Notebook: Three-star OL Walter Rouse planning return trip to Notre Dame
Walter Rouse already plans on returning to Notre Dame.
After making an unofficial visit Tuesday, the three-star offensive lineman has circled Notre Dame’s season opener against Michigan on Sept. 1 as his target for an official visit with the Irish.
Rouse’s itinerary this month has been packed. He’s already made visits to Virginia, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Northwestern and Vanderbilt and has Penn State and Rutgers penciled into his schedule later in the week.
Notre Dame has already collected four verbal commitments on the offensive line from Quinn Carroll, John Olmstead, Andrew Kristofic and Zeke Correll. Adding a fifth lineman has been a priority.
Before Rouse visited on Tuesday, the Irish hosted offensive lineman Saleem Wormley on an official visit this past weekend. With Rouse projected as a tackle and Wormley projected as a guard, offensive line coach Jeff Quinn could ask for a sixth scholarship to devote to the offensive line to make room for both.
By the time Rouse, a 6-foot-6, 276-pound product of Washington (D.C.) Sidwell Friends, visits in September, Quinn should have a clearer picture of the possibilities for his line.
Rivals ranks Rouse as the No. 39 offensive tackle in the 2019 class. 247Sports slates him as the No. 98 offensive tackle.
More visits
• Three-star tight end Brenton Strange added a Notre Dame offer when he visited campus Monday. The Irish joined a growing offer list that includes Ohio State, Purdue, Maryland, North Carolina and Wake Forest.
As a junior at Parkersburg (W.V.) High, Strange caught 59 passes for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns. Rivals ranks the 6-4, 212-pounder as the No. 20 tight end in the 2019 class. 247Sports slates him 23rd at the position.
• Four-star safety Darius Snow, a 2020 recruit, is scheduled to visit Notre Dame on Thursday. His trip to South Bend will be the final stop on a road trip that included visits to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Michigan State.
The 6-2, 210-pound Snow reported a Notre Dame offer on May 11. He’s drawn national attention after totaling 126 tackles in his sophomore season at Carrollton (Texas) Hebron.
Snow’s father, Eric, played basketball at Michigan State before a 14-year career in the NBA.
247Sports slates Darius Snow as the No. 2 safety in the 2020 class. Rivals ranks him fifth.
Decision day for Williams
On Thursday night, three-star running back Kyren Williams will share his commitment decision. The announcement will come four days after making an official visit to Notre Dame.
The Irish should be in pole position for the 5-10, 187-pound Williams. In addition to his official visit, Williams made a trip to Notre Dame for last year’s Irish Invasion and a junior day in January.
Williams rushed for 922 yards and 22 touchdowns and caught 51 passes for 774 yards and 12 touchdowns in his junior season at Kirkwood (Mo.) St. John Vianney. 247Sports slates Williams as the No. 19 running back in the 2019 class. Rivals rates him as the No. 34 athlete.
In May, Williams identified eight schools as his top contenders: Notre Dame, Missouri, Michigan, Stanford, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa and Michigan State. His announcement is scheduled to take place at his school at 7 p.m. EDT.
Rivals 250 for 2020
A week after updating its Top 250 for the 2019 class, Rivals released its first Rivals 250 for the 2020 class on Wednesday. Both of Notre Dame’s verbal commitments made the list.
Quarterback Drew Pyne received the No. 37 spot overall as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback. Rivals ranked tight end Kevin Bauman as the No. 2 tight end and No. 104 overall.
Notre Dame’s 2019 class has five commits in the Rivals 250: offensive linemen Quinn Carroll (No. 38) and John Olmstead (No. 66), safety Litchfield Ajavon (No. 85), defensive end NaNa Osafo-Mensah (No. 172) and linebacker Osita Ekwonu (No. 181)
Top lists
A trio of California recruits in the 2019 class put Notre Dame in their top lists this week. Whether the Irish are contenders for any of the three will be determined in the coming months. California prospects typically let their recruitments play out at a slower pace.
l CB Isaiah Rutherford, 6-2, 170; Carmichael (Calif.) Jesuit: The four-star recruit included Notre Dame in his top seven on Sunday alongside Alabama, California, Colorado, LSU, Oklahoma and Oregon. Rutherford received a Notre Dame offer last August, but he has yet to visit campus.
Rivals ranks Rutherford as the No. 8 cornerback in the class. 247Sports slates him No. 17.
l LB Henry To’oto’o, 6-2, 210; Concord (Calif.) De La Salle: The four-star recruit found room for Notre Dame in his top eight on Monday. Alabama, California, Washington, Tennessee, Oregon, Florida and USC also made the list. Notre Dame offered last July.
247Sports slates To’oto’o as the No. 2 outside linebacker in the class. Rivals ranks him as the No. 3 inside linebacker.
l DE Joshua Pakola, 6-3, 257, Mountain View (Calif.) St. Francis: The four-star recruit released a top seven on Tuesday with Stanford, Georgia, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Notre Dame and Washington making the cut. The Irish offered Pakola in September.
Rivals ranks Pakola as the No. 7 strongside defensive in the class. 247Sports slates him as the No. 17 weakside defensive end.
