Up to 16 players holding an Irish scholarship offer are also scheduled or tentatively planning to visit, and head coach Brian Kelly could hand out a few more full-rides by the end of the day.
Prospects Attending From the Offered List
Notre Dame has a chance to move up into the lead group for Brennen Beyer.
Hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker Brennen Beyer (Canton, Mich./Plymouth) is excited to take in Notre Dame for the first time. Michigan is one of the early leaders for Beyer, who also holds offers from Michigan State, UCLA, Stanford, Northwestern, Texas Tech and Vanderbilt. The Irish could find the lead group for Beyer following a successful visit.
Brad Carrico (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) definitely has Notre Dame near the top of his list, but the defensive end prospect is also considering offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Purdue and West Virginia. Carrico visited South Bend back in January.
Two Watch List receivers and prep teammates DaVaris Daniels (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) and Evan Spencer (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) will be making their second visit to South Bend together. Both attended the Notre Dame-USC game last fall, and both seem to have a lot of early interest in the Irish. Daniels is the son of Washington Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels, and also holds scholarship offers from Arkansas, Illinois, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin. Spencer is the son of Chicago Bears assistant coach and former Ohio State running back Tim Spencer. He holds offers from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin and the Buckeyes.
Future U.S. Under Armour All-American linebacker Trey DePriest (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield) is one of the headliner visitors. He’ll be making his first visit to South Bend along with his head coach Rick Robertson, who happens to be a native of nearby Mishawaka. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound DePriest also holds scholarship offers from the likes of Ohio State, Alabama, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and Michigan, and appears to be the only inside linebacker the Irish staff is recruiting.
Christian French (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy), is a 6-foot-6, 215-pound Watch List athlete, also holding offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri and Wisconsin. He is making his first visit to campus, and isn’t sure when he’ll make a college decision.
Depending on how his basketball team fairs in the state playoffs, linebacker Jarrett Grace (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) plans to be in South Bend. Notre Dame is one of his top schools, but says he’s considering all 14 of his offers. Boston College, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Vanderbilt are a few of the others that extended full-rides. Grace calls the Irish campus the best he’s ever seen, and the classroom whiz has never received anything less than an A on his past report cards.
Watch List defensive back Eilar Hardy (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) will be making his first trip to Notre Dame. The Irish are one of the schools recruiting Hardy the hardest. He also holds offers from the likes of Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan State, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Justice Hayes (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) is a Watch List running back that has also never visited South Bend. He has a top four of Notre Dame, Michigan State, Iowa and Northwestern, while also considering offers from places like Michigan, Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin.
Matthew Hegarty (Aztec, N.M./Aztec) is one of the most sought after players in the country. The Watch List prospect and future U.S. Army All-American will visit Michigan the night before taking in Notre Dame for the first time. He also holds offers from USC, Texas, Oklahoma, California, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State and several others. From the sounds of it, Notre Dame is near the top of Hegarty’s list. He’ll make his college decision before his senior season.
One of the top players on the East Coast, Watch List cornerback Albert Louis-Jean will be in South Bend for the first time. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound standout also holds offers from the likes of Penn State, Miami, Stanford, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Maryland.
Another future U.S. Under Armour All-American, quarterback Braxton Miller (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne), could also make his first-ever visit to Notre Dame. Miller’s father said they’re planning on making the trip, but it’s not set in stone. Kelly gave Miller his first scholarship offer, and since then, places like Ohio State, USC, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Michigan have stepped to the table
Chris Rock will be making his second visit to ND, and has the Irish as one of his early favorites.
Receiver Devin Smith (Massillon, Ohio/Washington) is hoping to attend, and is working on getting up to Notre Dame with his father. Smith has never visited, but recently named the Irish his slight leader over his other BCS offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Boston College, Nebraska and Indiana.
Quarterback Bubba Starling (Gardner, Kan./Gardner Edgerton) will be taking in Notre Dame for the first time. Quickly becoming one of the most sought after players in the country, Starling also holds offers from Alabama, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Baylor and Louisville. The dual-threat Watch List signal-caller is also looking to play baseball on the next level, and could bypass college altogether if the right deal is put in place by a Major League Baseball team down the road.
Other Top Prospects Attending
James Adeyanju (Chicago, Ill./Curie): The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker holds BCS offers from Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Duke, and is the younger brother of St. Louis Rams defensive end Victor Adeyanju. It will be his first visit to Notre Dame.
Blake Countess: The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Watch List cornerback, is also being targeted as a receiver by the Notre Dame staff. He’s never visited the Irish campus before, and is tentatively set for this weekend. Countess holds scholarship offers from the likes of Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland, Cincinnati and Louisville.
Chris Dukes (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain): A prep teammate of Grace, Dukes holds BCS offers from Boston College and Pittsburgh. He visited Notre Dame last fall.
Patrick Flavin (Lisle, Ill./Benet Academy): The 6-foot-7, 260-pound offensive tackles holds BCS scholarship offers from Illinois and UCLA. His older brother Bill is a walk-on long snapper at Notre Dame, and the Irish would be the favorite if the staff decides to offer.
Kevin Hogan (Washington D.C./Gonzaga): The 6-foot-4, 200-pound quarterback holds offers from Boston College, Maryland, Rutgers and Virginia. Hogan is a player the Irish staff likes a lot, and an offer from Notre Dame would be tough to turn down. His father graduated from the school and his sister is currently a student. Two uncles have suited up for the Irish, and roughly 20 other relatives including his grandfather have attended Notre Dame.
Chase Hounshell (Mentor, Ohio/Lake Catholic): The 6-foot-4, 227-pound defensive end has seven scholarship offers including a BCS one from Vanderbilt.
Jack Konopka (Palatine, Ill./Fremd): The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Watch List offensive tackle prospect from the same high school as future Notre Dame offensive tackle Christian Lombard, holds offers from BCS programs Boston College, Illinois, Northwestern and Purdue.
Nick Lifka (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North): The 6-foot-2, 235-pound fullback/linebacker prospect holds BCS offers from LSU and Indiana. Like Hogan, Lifka has had two uncles play for the Irish, and has visited Notre Dame several times in the past.
Brian Mihalik (Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake): The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Watch List defensive end holds offers from the likes of Arizona, Boston College, Stanford, West Virginia, Duke, Indiana and Louisville.
Tony Springmann (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger): The 6-foot-6, 255-pound offensive tackle/defensive end prospect holds scholarship offers from places like Boston College, Stanford, Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Duke and Indiana. Two of his high school teammates, receiver John Goodman and tight end Tyler Eifert play for the Irish. His mother went to law school at Notre Dame.
Christian Suntrup (St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade) The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Watch List quarterback holds offers from Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Stanford. He’s visited Notre Dame twice in the past.
Nick Vannett has a chance to leave ND with a scholarship offer. He has the Irish in his top four with Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Jordan Walsh (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West): From the same high school as current Notre Dame offensive lineman Chris Watt, the 6-foot-3, 275-pound offensive lineman holds offers from places like Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Arizona, Boston College, Iowa, Northwestern and Purdue.
Kevin Williams (Holland, Ohio/Springfield Local): Boston College, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska have already offered the 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive lineman. Williams uncle attended Notre Dame and played in the school band. He camped in South Bend years ago, and could be in line for an Irish offer.
Remound Wright (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger): Joining his prep teammate Springmann in South Bend, the 5-foot-8, 190-pound Wright holds offers from Boston College, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Stanford.
Anthony Zettel (West Branch, Mich./Ogemaw Heights): The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Watch List offensive lineman feels like he’s close to adding a Notre Dame offer. Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Cincinnati, Illinois and Missouri are a few of the programs that have already extended a scholarship. It will be Zettel’s first visit to the Irish campus.
