See who Notre Dame's coaching staff visited, offered in first week of new contact period
Notre Dame’s football coaching staff took to the recruiting trail this week.
With the new contact period, Irish coaches visited a bevy of commits, targets and prospects and offered scholarships to seven recruits. The contact period began Sunday and lasts until Feb. 2, 2019 — with exceptions on certain days.
Each 2019 recruit can now have face-to-face off-campus conversations with coaches. They are permitted six in-person, off-campus contacts but not more than one on any partial or full calendar week. Coaches can go to the schools of 2020 and 2021 recruits but cannot have face-to-face conversations with them.
From Sept. 1 until last Saturday, Division I coaches were bound by the quiet period. Face-to-face conversations — but not conversations over the phone — were prohibited. Recruiters were granted evaluation periods, which translated to one school visit on one calendar day per student-athlete. Face-to-face conversation, however, remained prohibited.
Head coach Brian Kelly, offensive coordinator Chip Long, defensive coordinator Clark Lea, offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, wide receiver coach DelVaughn Alexander, quarterback coach Tommy Rees, running back coach Autry Denson, defensive back coaches Terry Joseph and Todd Lyght, defensive line coach Mike Elston and special teams coach Brian Polian were on the recruiting trail this week.
ND Insider confirmed the visits below. Coaches only visited the schools of the 2020 and 2021 recruits listed and did not have prolonged face-to-face conversations with them.
2020 TARGETS
Monday
CB Clark Phillips III, La Habra (Calif.) High — Lyght
247Sports: Four stars, No. 4 CB, No. 59 overall | Rivals: Four stars, No. 7 CB, No. 70 overall
S Lathan Ransom, Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe Catholic — Joseph
247Sports: Three stars, No. 15 S, No. 295 overall | Rivals: Three stars, No. 18 S.
Tuesday
LB Sav'ell Smalls, Seattle Garfield — Lyght
247Sports: Five stars, No. 1 OLB, No. 2 overall | Rivals: Five stars, No. 1 WDE, No. 5 overall
S Darius Snow, Carrollton (Texas) Hebron — Joseph
247Sports: Four stars, No. 4 S, No. 109 overall | Rivals: Four stars, No. 6 S, No. 120 overall
Wednesday: DE Rylie Mills, Lake Forest (Ill.) High — Rees
247Sports: Four stars, No. 8 SDE, No. 145 overall | Rivals: Four stars, No. 10 SDE, No. 152 overall
Thursday
OL Kevin Pyne, Millis (Mass.) Milford — Quinn
Rivals: Four stars, No. 3 OT, No. 21 overall | 247Sports: Three stars, No. 33 OT, No. 282 overall
OL Andrew Raym, Broken Arrow (Okla.) High — Lyght
247Sports: Four stars, No. 3 OG, No. 28 overall | Rivals: Four stars, No. 13 OG, No. 115 overall
Friday
WR Maliq Carr, Oak Park (Mich.) High — Lyght
247Sports: Three stars, No. 84 WR, No. 442 overall | Rivals: Four stars
ATH Enzo Jennings, Oak Park (Mich.) High — Lyght
Rivals: Four stars, No. 4 CB, No. 53 overall | 247Sports: Four stars, No. 5 ATH, No. 83 overall
DE Braiden McGregor, Port Huron (Mich.) Northern — Elston
247Sports: Three stars, No. 14 SDE, No. 278 overall | Rivals: Three stars, No. 24 OLB
2021 TARGETS
Tuesday
QB Preston Stone, Dallas Parish Episcopal — Denson
247Sports: Four stars, No. 1 DUAL, No. 6 overall
QB Tyler Buchner, La Jolla (Calif.) The Bishop’s School — Long
247Sports: Four stars, No. 2 PRO, No. 49 overall
Friday
OL Garrett Dellinger, Clarkston (Mich.) High — Lyght
247Sports: Four stars, No. 1 OT, No. 2 overall
OL Rocco Spindler, Clarkston (Mich.) High — Lyght
247Sports: Four stars, No. 2 DT, No. 10 overall
PROSPECTS (NO OFFER)
Tuesday
2020 OT Tosh Baker, Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle — Quinn
247Sports: Three stars, No. 66 OT, No. 616 overall
2021 QB J.J. McCarthy, La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy — Rees
Thursday: 2021 QB Drake Maye, Cornelius (N.C.) Myers Park — Rees
More: The early signing period has allowed the Irish to work ahead. They had 17 2019 players committed before the 2018 season, which has since only elevated to 21 verbal pledges. Since the Oct. 13 Pittsburgh game, a majority of ND’s visitors have been beyond the 2019 class.
• Phillips, Ransom and Smalls are the only aforementioned targets who have not visited ND. Raym planned on attending two games this season but backed out last minute.
• Kevin Pyne, cousin of 2020 quarterback commit Drew Pyne, visited with Drew in April. Kevin’s 247Sports rating plummeted in October, but ND’s staff has remained strong in their interest in him. Rees visited him on Thursday, Oct. 18, during the bye week. On the same day, Lyght visited Braiden McGregor, who has come to ND numerous times, including the Nov. 10 Florida State game.
• High school teammates Enzo Jennings and Maliq Carr visited for the Nov. 10 FSU game and each left with offers. Snow visited over the summer, while Mills attended the Sept. 1 Michigan game.
• Pickerington (Ohio) North’s Jack Sawyer, 247Sports’ No. 1 strong-side defensive end, told ND Insider that he has been invited and plans to attend ND’s Dec. 15 bowl practice.
• J.J. McCarthy is not rated on 247Sports or Rivals, however his recruitment continues to gain steam. He’s the only quarterback Wisconsin has offered in its 2021 class. Illinois, Michigan and Purdue also offered him this week.
McCarthy messaged ND Insider on Sept. 26: “If ND told me that they wanted me there to talk to me about an offer, I would start sprinting there right now …It’s a dream offer.” The Irish have offered two 2021 quarterbacks — Buchner and Dallas Parish Episcopal’s Preston Stone.
2019 COMMITS
Monday
CB Isaiah Rutherford, Carmichael (Calif.) Jesuit — Kelly, Lea
Great seeing the Irish family ?? pic.twitter.com/NChpDTfpKx
— Isaiah Rutherford (@zay_rutherford) November 26, 2018
DT Jacob Lacey, Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren — Elston
We love Our Future DLine coach!!! @CoachMikeElston. Blessed to have him visit our home! We ate good , Laughed and received great information!! It’s getting real!! #Fightclub19@JacobLacey6pic.twitter.com/xVKzh49Dr9
— David Lacey (@revmackd10) November 27, 2018
Tuesday
DE NaNa Osafo-Mensah, Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic — Kelly, Elston
Blessing to have Coach Kelly and Coach Elston stop by the house today. Excited to be apart of the Irish Family!!!?????? pic.twitter.com/bG7Q5QD5NI
— NaNa Osafo-Mensah (@NaNaOsafo2) November 28, 2018
DT Hunter Spears, Sachse (Texas) High — Kelly, Elston
Great having Coach Kelly and Coach Elston stop by today. Can’t wait for what the future has to hold. Go Irish pic.twitter.com/Y4RZKv5Ztn
— Hunter Spears (@Thehunterspears) November 28, 2018
LB Marist Liufau, Honolulu Punahou — Lea
Wednesday
QB Brendon Clark, Midlothian (Va.) Manchester — Rees
S Litchfield Ajavon, Alexandria (Va.) Episcopal — Joseph
Thursday
DE Howard Cross III, Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph Regional — Elston, Kelly
CB K.J. Wallace, Atlanta Lovett — Joseph
LB JD Bertrand, Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity Catholic — Joseph
LB Osita Ekwonu, Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day — Rees
WR Kendall Abdur-Rahman, Edwardsville (Ill.) High — Alexander
RB Kyren Williams, Kirkwood (Mo.) St. John Vianney — Alexander, Long
Friday
OL Quinn Carroll, Edina (Minn.) High — Quinn
OL Zeke Correll, Cincinnati Anderson — Long
S Kyle Hamilton, Atlanta Marist — Joseph
WR Cam Hart, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel — Alexander
2020 COMMITS
Thursday: TE Kevin Bauman, Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic — Kelly, Quinn, Elston
Friday
TE Michael Mayer, Park Hills (Ky.) Covington Catholic — Long
QB Drew Pyne, New Canaan (Conn.) High — Rees
More: The Irish coaching staff checked up with a majority of their 24 commits this week. Lea made the trek to Honolulu to visit the freshly committed Marist Liufau, who could be a pivotal piece to revamping ND’s Hawaiian pipeline.
• Polian, who reportedly had a second interview on Monday for Bowling Green’s now-filled head coach vacancy, plans to visit Jay Bramblett on Friday night. Travel issues might push back Polian’s Alabama visit to next week, though.
• 2019 commits Andrew Kristofic and Osita Ekwonu, as well as walk-on kicker Harrison Leonard, told ND Insider that the Irish staff intends to visit them next week.
• Joseph plans on attending Kyle Hamilton’s GHSA-AAAA semifinal game against Cartersville on Friday night.
Offer spree: ND extended scholarship offers to seven recruits this week. They are listed below, and some were visited by the Irish coaching staff.
• WR John Humphreys, 6-5, 205; Newport Beach (Calif.) Corona Del Mar: Alexander and Quinn visited Humphreys’ high school on Tuesday before offering him. To read more on him, click here.
• DE Alexander Ehrensberger, 6-7, 238; Germany: Ehrensberger unofficially visited ND on Nov. 20, 2018. To read more on him, click here.
• DE Myles Murphy, 6-4, 250; High Point (N.C.) Southwest Guilford: To read more on him, click here.
• DE Chantz Williams, 6-4, 212; Orange Park (Fla.) Oakleaf: To read more on him, click here.
2021 prospects who received offers offers
• DE George Rooks, 6-4, 250; Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep: Kelly visited Rooks’ high school this week before offering him. To read more on him, click here.
• WR Cristian Dixon, 6-2, 180; Pomona (Calif.) Diamond Ranch: ND coaches visited Dixon’s high school this week before offering him. To read more on him, click here.
• WR Beaux Collins, 6-3, 190; Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco: To read more on him, click here.
*This is not a complete list.