During the May evaluation period, Notre Dame assistant Tony Alford made a visit to South Lake High School in Groveland, Fla., in search of a slot receiver.
Alford checked out 5-foot-10, 195-pound receiver James Brooks and later talked to Brooks on the phone. He told Brooks he wanted to see more and invited him to the Irish’s one-day camp on Thursday.
“It feels good,” Brooks said of the attention from the Irish. “When I talked to him on the phone during the spring, it felt good because he said he was really interested in me. That made feel good and when he told me he wanted me to come to the camp, that made me feel better.”
Brooks is eager to see how he stacks up against the other players on Notre Dame’s recruiting radar.
“I just want to see the other guys they’re looking at,” he said. “It’ll be good to see how I compare to some of the other kids they’re recruiting.”
Brooks feels like he’ll be competing for an offer, which is exciting.
“I enjoy it because it makes me perform better,” he said. “When I go out there, I feel like all eyes are on me, so I have to make sure everything is crisp and everything is done right.
“I feel like I need to show some good route-running and the ability to make catches over guys. I’m not the tallest guy out there, but making catches some other guys probably wouldn’t be able to make and just showing them that I’m that guy.”
Brooks currently has offers from Memphis, Kent State and Florida A&M, but an offer from Notre Dame could represent a turning point in the process for Brooks.
“That would make the day,” he said. “That would actually probably do it for me with the whole recruiting process.”
Brooks said he’d probably commit if he were offered by the Irish because of the athletic and academic opportunities he’d be able to take advantage of.
“Especially academics, knowing I could get a good education as well as playing in a good football program,” he said. “I know they have a long history with the coaching staffs. I just know it’s a well-rounded program.”
Brooks is hoping to get the process over with sooner than later, especially if he gets an offer from the Irish.
“I’m looking at graduating early, but I don’t know yet,” he said. “Just for that to come so early, that would make me feel good. If that happened, that would probably be where I’m going.”
