The Notre Dame football program had a very good recruiting week last week by gaining four more verbal commitments in the class of 2011. However, there is still room left in this class and some very highly regarded recruits remain on the Irish recruiting board. Last week Irish Sports Daily spoke to two outstanding prospects with legitimate interest in Notre Dame. What have you been missing by not being a member of Irish Sports Daily?
Ray Drew, DE, 6-6, 250, Thomas County Central High School, Thomasville, GA possesses a wide range of talent that far transcends the football field. He is an ordained minister, starting center on his basketball team and an all-state performer in the shot put and discus. He is, though, an outstanding football player. As a junior he racked up 72 tackles and six sacks and this performance garnered him more football scholarship offers than he can count and a place on the ESPNU 150 list. And while recruitment has slowed recently, mostly because Drew has been too busy preparing for the upcoming season, he still remains in contact with a number of schools, including Notre Dame.
“I like Notre Dame,” Drew said. “It’s a great school, a great coaching staff and a great football program. But on top of that, they have a great academic program up there as well. An education from Notre Dame is second to none. You have to look at all that kind of stuff; where can I play great football and get an education all at the same time. Notre Dame is a place that offers all of that.”
Despite all the recruiting interest, Drew claims to be wide open at this point. He is in the process of deciding who will get his five official visits. He has two penciled in, but has not revealed yet who those two are.
“I have thought of some and I have two that I know I am going to definitely, but I’m not sure when they are,” Drew explained. “I want to keep those under wraps.”
Drew plans on a signing day decision.
Darius Jennings, ATH, 5-11, 175, Gilman School, Baltimore, MD, is the consummate team player. After being named the starting quarterback prior to his sophomore season, he suffered a knee injury that left him unable to be ready for the start of the season. As a result, once he was well enough to play, head coach Biff Poggi lined the talented sophomore up at running back, receiver and defensive back. Jennings took it all in stride, being willing to do whatever was necessary to help his team win.
“I had surgery in the off-season, and my first day running was the week before camp started,” remembered Jennings. “I really wasn’t full go, you could tell, and I just had to play my role as a member of the team. When my number was called I did what I had to do to help the team win. I still trained to get above one hundred percent and my junior year was proof.”
Last year a healthy Gilman led his team to a league championship. He rushed for 2028 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also passed for 748 yards and 10 more touchdowns. Gilman is being recruited for all of the positions he played as a junior. He hasn’t really narrowed his list of offers, but hopes to whittle them down from 15 to 10 before his fall camp begins.
“I don’t really have a favorite school right now,” Jennings informed. “I’m trying to get a top ten before two-a-days start in August. I’m narrowing my list slowly but surely.”
Jennings has visited a number of his favorites, including Iowa, Rutgers, Maryland, North Carolina, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Connecticut, Virginia and Virginia Tech. He has trips to Penn State, Boston College, Pittsburgh and West Virginia lined up for this week. He would also consider visiting Miami and Notre Dame if they were to offer.
“I’m definitely interested in both those schools and it’s definitely a possibility,” said Jennings of a visit to Notre Dame. “I’m not sure what official visits I’ll be taking.”
Neither Jennings nor Notre Dame showed much interest in the other until recently. As it turns out, it was more of a misunderstanding than mutual disinterest.
“I called them (Notre Dame) a few weeks back,” recalled Jennings. “Coach (Charley) Molnar is the guy recruiting me and he said it helped me out a lot that I’m showing interest. He said we thought you weren’t interested so that’s a good sign. If they do offer me, I’m definitely going to consider Notre Dame. They thought maybe I wasn’t interested because I didn’t visit this summer, but with them it was just finances and time and I couldn’t get out there.”
Jennings does have a connection to Notre Dame through two previous Gilman recruits that ended up in South Bend. Victor Abiamiri and Ambrose Wooden both Gilman alumni, played at Notre Dame. Jennings has spoken with both.
“Victor was drafted in the second round and Ambrose is making six figures on Wall Street,” said Jennings. “That proves that even if the football piece doesn’t work out, the academic piece will carry me forty years after I graduate.”
While Molnar loves what Jennings brings to the field, the coaching staff is nonetheless recruiting him as a defensive back. For his part, Jennings is undecided about which position he wants to play at the next level.
“I’m not really sure yet,” Jennings said. “I think I can be explosive with the ball in my hands, but I think I can be a good defensive back in college and have a good future there as well.”
Jennings continued.
“I’m just looking for a place where academics is first and a place where I vibe with the team. I want to see how the coaches treat the players and interact with other coaches. The comfort zone I have within the school, not just the football team. I would like to get on the field as quickly as possible, like any other player and help my team.”
These two summaries represent just a sample of the Notre Dame football recruiting information available each week on Irish Sports Daily.
