About two hours before each home game, the Notre Dame football team walks from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to Touchdown Jesus to the Rockne Gate of Notre Dame Stadium. Typically, recruits hang out around the gate as they await the arrival of the Notre Dame football team. Once again, they were there today.
Most of the recruits we reported in our visitors preview were in attendance. I did not spot 2023 RB commit Jeremiyah Love and his teammate, 2024 WR target Jeremiah McClellan. Both guys are on campus but are being pulled in many different directions today.
One addition that I noticed was 2024 DE target Marquise Lightfoot.
Here are a few observations from the scene:
Most of the recruits we reported in our visitors preview were in attendance. I did not spot 2023 RB commit Jeremiyah Love and his teammate, 2024 WR target Jeremiah McClellan. Both guys are on campus but are being pulled in many different directions today.
One addition that I noticed was 2024 DE target Marquise Lightfoot.
Here are a few observations from the scene:
- 2023 three-star ATH target Brandyn Hillman was the first to arrive at the gate. ND director of recruiting Chad Bowden accompanied him. They were together the entire time. Hillman appeared to be having a great time. He is the top priority on campus this weekend and is being treated as such.
- Huddled around each other were commits 2023 LB Drayk Bowen, 2024 QB CJ Carr, 2023 CB Christian Gray and 2024 WR Ryan Wingo. Hillman was also hanging out with the group.
- As fans awaited the football team to approach the gate, one fan spotted Wingo. That fan led a chant that began with, "Ryan Wingo!" and other fans responded with, "Let's go!" At the end of the chant, the fan called out Carr and told him to get Wingo to commit. Carr responded, "I've gotchu."
- Behind Hillman, Wingo is the top target on campus. He was getting lots of attention from Carr and Bowen. Wingo looked like he was having a fantastic time with all the guys. If you did not know who Wingo was, you would've thought he was already one of the commits.
- Wingo, Carr, Bowen and Gray gave Bowden a hell of a time over something. I could not identify what, but it looked like an older brother catching heat from his younger brothers. You could tell all those guys have a great relationship.
- 2024 LB target Bryce Young towered over other recruits. He might not have many offers (and muscle) yet, but he has tremendous size.
- 2024 LB target Payton Pierce was a little bit more stand-offish. From what I could tell, he observed the entire time and did not interact with other recruits much.
- 2023 RB commit Dylan Edwards and 2023 safety commit Ben Minich walked in behind the team. Both of them posed for a picture I will try to post shortly.
- One non-recruiting note, I believe former Notre Dame defensive tackle Kurt Hinish is here today. The Houston Texans are on a bye week.
