Jordan Diamond, OT, 6-6, 290, Simeon Academy, Chicago, IL made an unofficial visit to Notre Dame last Saturday and came away very impressed.
“It went well,” Diamond said. “I learned some things, got a chance to meet some of the players, talk to the players and of course meet the coaching staff, so I had a good time.”
Diamond was impressed with Notre Dame’s outstanding graduation rate and also the pace of the Irish practice that he watched.
“They’ve got a fast-paced practice,” he said. “Up-tempo style, the style of play I’m used to and I’d definitely fit down here.”
Diamond commented on his meeting with Irish head coach Brian Kelly. He found Kelly to be straightforward and he liked that.
“Coach Kelly is a very up-tempo guy,” said Diamond. “He’s an up-tempo guy just like his practices. That’s unbelievable; a very down to earth coach and that’s what I like to hear.”
One of Diamond’s priorities in his recruitment is early playing time. Kelly let him know that Notre Dame definitely needed offensive tackles and that playing time could be had for the taking.
“They’re short on tackles so that could be a good opportunity for me,” said the talented Chicagoan.
Diamond enjoyed the opportunity to meet some of the Irish players, particularly fellow Chicago native Darius Fleming. From the players, and especially Fleming, he got a very good picture of what it was like to be a football player and student at Notre Dame.
“It was just an honor to meet some of the players and to hear about their thoughts on how their lives have been changed over the last couple of years,” he informed. “That was big for me. He (Darius Fleming) told me all about his experiences at Notre Dame. We have this bond because we’re from Chicago and have a mutual respect for one another. That played a key role too, just seeing some of the guys from Chicago going to Notre Dame and making it.”
Diamond has close to 20 offers and hopes to cut his list first to 15 then to 10. It looks as if the Irish should be in good shape to make both cuts.
“Notre Dame will most definitely be in my top 10, this puts the icing on the cake,” he explained. “They will most definitely be in my top 10. As far as the other schools, I have to check them out just like I checked out Notre Dame, but Notre Dame was pretty impressive.”
Amara Darboh, WR, 6-2, 200, Dowling Catholic High School, Des Moines, IA has visited Notre Dame twice previously and just recently scheduled his third visit for the April 16th Blue-Gold Game.
“Me and Eric Lee are going up there to check it out,” said Darboh. Lee will be attending Notre Dame in the fall and will be joining the football squad as a preferred walk-on. “Eric is a great player. He’s a hard worker; he played on both sides of the ball last year for us. He doesn’t get tired. I don’t think he ever got off the field.”
Darboh camped at Notre Dame last summer and visited for the Pittsburgh game last fall. The Iowa native is looking forward to his third trip to South Bend.
“It’s been a while, ever since the Pitt game,” he explained. “I’m looking forward to it. I saw about everything because I’ve been there twice already. I’m just excited to see the coaches again and also the players. I’m excited to meet the new players and see the offense and see them practice.”
Darboh has previously visited Iowa State and hopes to take more visits before trimming his offer list. Right now, Iowa and Wisconsin are part of his travel plans. He hopes to trim his offer list by the end of the summer, but realizes that recruiting is such a fluid process that it might take longer.
“There’s no way of knowing what’s going to happen,” said Darboh. “If my recruiting picks up some more and makes the decision harder then I’ll take a little bit more time.”
These two summaries represent just a sample of the Notre Dame football recruiting information available each week on Irish Sports Daily.
