Here are tonight's Lucky Charms...
*** I'm told that Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly had a FaceTime video chat with Severn (Md.) Archbishop Spalding class of 2021 safety Zakee Wheatley this morning. The Notre Dame coaching staff has really been focusing on making sure their families and players back home are staying safe. And of course, the staff has been spending a ton of time recruiting. Kelly especially has been talking with a lot of prospects, especially on video chats, like he did with Wheatley on Thursday morning.
*** Notre Dame has some ground to make up in Wheatley's recruitment. I'm told that the conversation between Wheatley and Kelly went well, but there's only so much that can be accomplished during that kind of interaction. Visits are really game-changers when you need to make a move in a prospect's recruitment, but that won't be able to happen any time soon due to the coronavirus. Wheatley has a top eight schools list that he announced before landing an offer from the Irish a few weeks ago, but from what I've gathered, Notre Dame is one of the top three or four schools for the nation's No. 237 recruit. Penn State is considered the favorite for him at the moment.
*** This question is often brought up on the board: "If we don't get Will Shipley, then what?" The staff would likely extend some new 2021 running back offers, and Cam'Ron Valdez from Rockdale (Texas) High is someone to keep an eye on. The 5-10, 187-pounder ranks as the No. 209 player nationally and No. 4 all-purpose back. A source tells me that Notre Dame has been with contact with Valdez this week. I'll go ahead and answer the question of "Does this mean we're not getting Will Shipley????" Notre Dame expressing interest in another running back recruit has nothing to do with whether or not they're going to get Shipley.
*** A storyline for the 2021 class moving forward is what Notre Dame does at the linebacker spot. I'm still expecting them to take 1-2 at the position, but there aren't many targets on the board just yet. There have been some prospects who tell me that they've been offered as a rover, and Donovan McMillon from Pennsylvania is the most notable prospect right now. A linebacker prospect who has high interest in Notre Dame but doesn't hold an offer from the Irish is Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas' Jaydon Hood. This is an Under Armour All-American recruit with over 20 offers. He's receiving some interest from Notre Dame and tells me that he loves the high academic standard at the school. Hood is someone we've talked about before here and I think he'd be a solid offer.
*** I'm told that Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly had a FaceTime video chat with Severn (Md.) Archbishop Spalding class of 2021 safety Zakee Wheatley this morning. The Notre Dame coaching staff has really been focusing on making sure their families and players back home are staying safe. And of course, the staff has been spending a ton of time recruiting. Kelly especially has been talking with a lot of prospects, especially on video chats, like he did with Wheatley on Thursday morning.
*** Notre Dame has some ground to make up in Wheatley's recruitment. I'm told that the conversation between Wheatley and Kelly went well, but there's only so much that can be accomplished during that kind of interaction. Visits are really game-changers when you need to make a move in a prospect's recruitment, but that won't be able to happen any time soon due to the coronavirus. Wheatley has a top eight schools list that he announced before landing an offer from the Irish a few weeks ago, but from what I've gathered, Notre Dame is one of the top three or four schools for the nation's No. 237 recruit. Penn State is considered the favorite for him at the moment.
*** This question is often brought up on the board: "If we don't get Will Shipley, then what?" The staff would likely extend some new 2021 running back offers, and Cam'Ron Valdez from Rockdale (Texas) High is someone to keep an eye on. The 5-10, 187-pounder ranks as the No. 209 player nationally and No. 4 all-purpose back. A source tells me that Notre Dame has been with contact with Valdez this week. I'll go ahead and answer the question of "Does this mean we're not getting Will Shipley????" Notre Dame expressing interest in another running back recruit has nothing to do with whether or not they're going to get Shipley.
*** A storyline for the 2021 class moving forward is what Notre Dame does at the linebacker spot. I'm still expecting them to take 1-2 at the position, but there aren't many targets on the board just yet. There have been some prospects who tell me that they've been offered as a rover, and Donovan McMillon from Pennsylvania is the most notable prospect right now. A linebacker prospect who has high interest in Notre Dame but doesn't hold an offer from the Irish is Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas' Jaydon Hood. This is an Under Armour All-American recruit with over 20 offers. He's receiving some interest from Notre Dame and tells me that he loves the high academic standard at the school. Hood is someone we've talked about before here and I think he'd be a solid offer.
