Former Virginia Tech WR Eric Kumah plans official visit to Notre Dame
A week after announcing his intentions to pursue a graduate transfer out of Virginia Tech, wide receiver Eric Kumah has scheduled an official visit to Notre Dame.
Kumah tweeted Tuesday night that he plans to be in South Bend on Feb. 23. Kumah previously announced visit plans to Texas Tech (March 30) and Penn State (April 6).
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Kumah finished the 2018 season as Virginia Tech’s second-leading receiver with 42 catches for 559 yards and seven touchdowns, including four catches for 48 yards and one touchdown against Notre Dame in a 45-23 loss to the Irish.
Kumah, who has one year of eligibility remaining and will be allowed to play immediately after graduation, caught 28 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore in 2017. He signed with the Hokies as a three-star recruit out of Woodbridge (Va.) Forest Park in 2016.
Notre Dame will need to replace the production of No. 1 wide receiver Miles Boykin, who entered his name into the NFL Draft pool earlier this month. Boykin recorded 59 receptions for 872 yards and eight touchdowns last season. The next two leading receivers from 2018, Chris Finke and Chase Claypool, will return.
The rest of the depth chart at wide receiver is filled with mostly inexperienced players in the freshman, sophomore and junior classes. Junior-to-be Michael Young and sophomore-to-be Kevin Austin Jr., are the top candidates to receive increased playing time in 2019.
In December, head coach Brian Kelly told Eric Hansen in an interview for WSBT Radio’s Weekday Sportsbeat that the Irish weren’t in the market for graduate transfers at the time.
Most of Notre Dame’s incoming graduate transfers have fizzled rather than flashed with the Irish in recent years. Wide receivers Cam Smith (Arizona State) and Freddy Canteen (Michigan) combined for nine catches for 67 yards and one touchdown in 2017.
Safety Avery Sebastian (Cal) suffered a season-ending foot injury in his first game with Notre Dame in 2015. Because of a medical hardship waiver, Sebastian was able to play for the Irish in 2016, but he tallied only 17 tackles mostly as a backup safety and special teams contributor. Both Smith and Canteen dealt with injuries while at Notre Dame too.
Cornerback Cody Riggs (Florida) was the last impactful graduate transfer for the Irish. Riggs started 11 games and recorded 36 tackles, one interception and one tackle for a loss in 2014 at Notre Dame.
