Here are tonight's Lucky Charms...
Yesterday, I posted scoop on the offensive coaches' road travels for the week. Let's take a look at the defensive coaches.
*** We'll start with Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, who Patrick and I wrote about this afternoon. I haven't been able to confirm any Wednesday visit for Freeman, but on Thursday, he'll be seeing two of his top linebacker targets on the board. The first stop will be at Pickerington (Ohio) Central for five-star Alex "Sonny" Styles, and then will watch Pittsburgh Brashear play that night to see four-star linebacker Ta'Mere Robinson in action. The Irish had Styles on campus for the Cincinnati game, while Robinson hasn't been at Notre Dame since the summer. Look for Robinson to visit this fall, though.
Freeman is expected at Hilton Head (S.C.) High Friday morning. Of course, the Fighting Irish have blue-chip linebacker recruit Jaylen Sneed committed from Hilton Head in the 2022 class. Sneed was just on campus for the Cincinnati game.
That night, Freeman will be at Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean's road matchup to see 2023 All-American linebacker and Notre Dame target Drayk Bowen. Bowen also visited for the Cincinnati matchup and will be back for the USC and UNC games. It's getting to the point where I'm having a hard time remembering all of Bowen's visits to Notre Dame. After the month of October is up, I believe he'll have visited campus five times since June 1.
*** Irish defensive line coach Mike Elston will hit the road Wednesday, and the only visit I'm confirmed that day is to St. Louis John Burroughs, home of 2022 defensive end pledge Tyson Ford. The four-star recruit is locked in with his Irish pledge that he gave earlier this year.
On Thursday, Elston will make a trip to the Sunshine State for two big visits. Elite edge rusher Keon Keeley committed to Notre Dame over the summer, the first pledge for the Irish in the 2023 class, but he visited Florida this fall. Elston stepping foot on Keeley's campus will only help keep the four-star recruit locked in. Elston will also head over to the Orlando area to check in on Derrick LeBlanc, another big-time defensive lineman, per head coach Eric Pinellas. LeBlanc visited Notre Dame over the summer, but I believe the Irish are on the outside looking in here.
On Friday, I'm expecting Elston to be at Findlay (Ohio) High, home of 2023 interior defensive line target Luke Montgomery, and that night, he'll see defensive end commit Brenan Vernon in action.
*** Moving to the secondary, cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens has a jam packed schedule from what I'm hearing. I've heard that he'll be in Missouri to stop at St. Louis DeSmet for 2023 cornerback target Christian Gray and also in Alabama for Phenix City (Ala.) Glenwood's AJ Harris. Either I got some misinformation here on the days or Mickens is putting in some serious travel time. Because then on Thursday, he's in Texas to watch Dallas South Oak Cliff play that night, which is home to 2023 cornerback targets Malik Muhammad and Jayvon Thomas.
Gray, Harris and Muhammad are -- in my opinion -- three of Notre Dame's top four cornerback targets in the 2023 class. The fourth is Las Vegas Bishop Gorman's Justyn Rhett, who coincidentally I will be watching this Friday. (Yup, I'm going to Vegas!).
On Friday, Mickens will be in Arizona for a showdown between two big Notre Dame recruits in the 2022 class: Irish CB pledge Ben Morrison and top defensive line target Anthony Lucas, who will visit Notre Dame for the USC game.
*** Notre Dame safeties coach Chris O'Leary has a loaded few days of travel as well, starting down in Naples, Fla. to show some love at the high school of 2022 cornerback commit Devin Moore. I mentioned earlier that Keeley visited Florida this fall, and Moore was at that same game as the Gators fell in a close one to Alabama. I would say there's a bit more concern of a flip from Moore compared to Keeley, so it's good to see the staff heading down to his school. I believe Moore will stick with the Irish when it's all said and done.
I've only been able to confirm one spot of O'Leary's in Texas, and it's at Denton Guyer, home of three class of 2023 Notre Dame targets: QB Jackson Arnold and defensive backs Ryan Yaites and Peyton Bowen. All three prospects visited Notre Dame over the summer, and all three are expected to visit again this month. Yaites is supposed to visit for the USC game, while Arnold and Bowen will come in for the North Carolina matchup. I had previously reported on Arnold and Yaites making the visit; I had not yet on Bowen, so that is good news for the Irish.
And on Friday, O'Leary will be in the greater Atlanta area at the high schools of two top safety targets in the 2023 class -- Caleb Downs (Mill Creek) and Terrance Love (Langston Hughes). Downs visited over the summer and is locked in to visit for the North Carolina game. Love may visit that weekend as well. Notre Dame is in the top group for both prospects but will be tough gets.
Yesterday, I posted scoop on the offensive coaches' road travels for the week. Let's take a look at the defensive coaches.
*** We'll start with Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, who Patrick and I wrote about this afternoon. I haven't been able to confirm any Wednesday visit for Freeman, but on Thursday, he'll be seeing two of his top linebacker targets on the board. The first stop will be at Pickerington (Ohio) Central for five-star Alex "Sonny" Styles, and then will watch Pittsburgh Brashear play that night to see four-star linebacker Ta'Mere Robinson in action. The Irish had Styles on campus for the Cincinnati game, while Robinson hasn't been at Notre Dame since the summer. Look for Robinson to visit this fall, though.
Freeman is expected at Hilton Head (S.C.) High Friday morning. Of course, the Fighting Irish have blue-chip linebacker recruit Jaylen Sneed committed from Hilton Head in the 2022 class. Sneed was just on campus for the Cincinnati game.
That night, Freeman will be at Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean's road matchup to see 2023 All-American linebacker and Notre Dame target Drayk Bowen. Bowen also visited for the Cincinnati matchup and will be back for the USC and UNC games. It's getting to the point where I'm having a hard time remembering all of Bowen's visits to Notre Dame. After the month of October is up, I believe he'll have visited campus five times since June 1.
*** Irish defensive line coach Mike Elston will hit the road Wednesday, and the only visit I'm confirmed that day is to St. Louis John Burroughs, home of 2022 defensive end pledge Tyson Ford. The four-star recruit is locked in with his Irish pledge that he gave earlier this year.
On Thursday, Elston will make a trip to the Sunshine State for two big visits. Elite edge rusher Keon Keeley committed to Notre Dame over the summer, the first pledge for the Irish in the 2023 class, but he visited Florida this fall. Elston stepping foot on Keeley's campus will only help keep the four-star recruit locked in. Elston will also head over to the Orlando area to check in on Derrick LeBlanc, another big-time defensive lineman, per head coach Eric Pinellas. LeBlanc visited Notre Dame over the summer, but I believe the Irish are on the outside looking in here.
On Friday, I'm expecting Elston to be at Findlay (Ohio) High, home of 2023 interior defensive line target Luke Montgomery, and that night, he'll see defensive end commit Brenan Vernon in action.
*** Moving to the secondary, cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens has a jam packed schedule from what I'm hearing. I've heard that he'll be in Missouri to stop at St. Louis DeSmet for 2023 cornerback target Christian Gray and also in Alabama for Phenix City (Ala.) Glenwood's AJ Harris. Either I got some misinformation here on the days or Mickens is putting in some serious travel time. Because then on Thursday, he's in Texas to watch Dallas South Oak Cliff play that night, which is home to 2023 cornerback targets Malik Muhammad and Jayvon Thomas.
Gray, Harris and Muhammad are -- in my opinion -- three of Notre Dame's top four cornerback targets in the 2023 class. The fourth is Las Vegas Bishop Gorman's Justyn Rhett, who coincidentally I will be watching this Friday. (Yup, I'm going to Vegas!).
On Friday, Mickens will be in Arizona for a showdown between two big Notre Dame recruits in the 2022 class: Irish CB pledge Ben Morrison and top defensive line target Anthony Lucas, who will visit Notre Dame for the USC game.
*** Notre Dame safeties coach Chris O'Leary has a loaded few days of travel as well, starting down in Naples, Fla. to show some love at the high school of 2022 cornerback commit Devin Moore. I mentioned earlier that Keeley visited Florida this fall, and Moore was at that same game as the Gators fell in a close one to Alabama. I would say there's a bit more concern of a flip from Moore compared to Keeley, so it's good to see the staff heading down to his school. I believe Moore will stick with the Irish when it's all said and done.
I've only been able to confirm one spot of O'Leary's in Texas, and it's at Denton Guyer, home of three class of 2023 Notre Dame targets: QB Jackson Arnold and defensive backs Ryan Yaites and Peyton Bowen. All three prospects visited Notre Dame over the summer, and all three are expected to visit again this month. Yaites is supposed to visit for the USC game, while Arnold and Bowen will come in for the North Carolina matchup. I had previously reported on Arnold and Yaites making the visit; I had not yet on Bowen, so that is good news for the Irish.
And on Friday, O'Leary will be in the greater Atlanta area at the high schools of two top safety targets in the 2023 class -- Caleb Downs (Mill Creek) and Terrance Love (Langston Hughes). Downs visited over the summer and is locked in to visit for the North Carolina game. Love may visit that weekend as well. Notre Dame is in the top group for both prospects but will be tough gets.
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