Notre Dame Visit Preview: Irish Hosting An Elite Group Of 2022 Prospects
Notre Dame kicks off its 2022 recruiting official visits this weekend, and over the next five days the Irish will host 12 prospects, including two commits. A strong case could me made that it's Notre Dame's most talented and important weekend. In fact, I make that very case in the latest Irish Breakdown podcast in which we preview this weekend's visitors.
You can watch the podcast below:
In the video we go through all the uncommitted visitors that are expected to be on campus, why they are such important recruits, where things stand with Notre Dame and their recruitment, who Notre Dame must close on and make predictions on the players the Irish have the best chance to land.
Here are the prospects visiting June 11-13:
RB Dallan Hayden - The Tennessee running back is my top ranked player on the board at his position. He's an instinctive and athletic defender that can also run with authority. He's a highly underrated back whose all-around game I absolutely love. Hayden visited Illinois last weekend and heads to Ohio State - his leader - the following weekend. Notre Dame needs to knock it out of the park this weekend if its going to upset the Buckeyes and land this talented running back.
WR Tobias Merriweather - Merriweather is my top ranked receiver on the board. He's a tall, long, athletic pass catcher that can stretch the field and dominate contested throws. The scary thing is he's not close to his full potential. Merriweather is a must-get for Notre Dame, but he's talked about prolonging his recruitment. Stanford is his only other currently scheduled visit. Simply put, Notre Dame needs to blow Merriweather away and convince him to wrap things up sooner rather than later.
OL Jake Taylor - Taylor is my top offensive tackle on the board, and that includes five-star Zach Rice. Taylor isn't ranked as high by the national services, but I absolutely love his combination of length, athleticism, power and football IQ. He'll need time to fill out his frame but he is extremely talented. He visited Alabama last weekend and Oklahoma - his leader - next weekend. Notre Dame is considered a long shot at this point, but this weekend they get their chance to take a swing.
OL Billy Schrauth - Schrauth is an extremely talented player that isn't close to reaching his ceiling. He is a high-quality interior athlete, plays with a great motor and packs some punch. He plays guard in high school but has the athletic tools to possibly have the ability to move outside if the need arose. He visited Wisconsin last week and plans to take a midweek visit to Ohio State after his Notre Dame visit, but the Fighting Irish have put themselves in great position with Schrauth.
DT Anthony Lucas - If you've ever listened to one of my recruiting podcasts you know what I think about Lucas. He's the ultimate gap closer in this class and the type of recruit Notre Dame rarely lands. His combination of length, elite hand play, athleticism and versatility is exactly what the Irish want up front. Texas A&M, Texas, Oregon and Miami are contenders, with the Aggies currently being Notre Dame's top competition. Mike Elston and Marcus Freeman have put the Fighting Irish in a great position ahead of his visit, and a strong weekend could help the Irish pull off this much-needed recruiting victory.
LB Niuafe Tuihalamaka - The California native is a pure Mike linebacker. He is a strong, physical and highly instinctive prospect that can hammer the run game. Notre Dame didn't get in the mix with Tuihalamaka until after Freeman was hired, and as soon as they offered they became a factor. Texas has made a hard charge for Tuihalamaka, but Notre Dame could be hard to beat if it makes a big push this weekend.
CB Benjamin Morrison - Notre Dame wants long, athletic cornerbacks that can play man coverage. Morrison is a long, athletic cornerback with the tools to develop into an outstanding man cover player. He's a great fit for what Freeman wants in his defense, and his long speed stands out on film. The Arizona standout has a unique skillset that could fit either outside corner positions in the Fighting Irish defense. Morrison is still quite raw, which is exciting, and the Irish have battled programs like Alabama, Michigan, Washington and others in this recruitment, but a strong weekend could give the Irish a win.
CB Devin Moore - Speaking of long, athletic cover corners, that's also how I would describe Moore. At 6-2, Moore possesses truly elite length. He's a smooth and fluid athlete that can overcome his lack of elite speed with that length, his football IQ and his overall strong athletic traits. Moore has all the tools that corners coach Mike Mickens has coveted at past schools and he fits the mold of players like Ahmad Gardner, who Mickens coached to be a freshman All-American the year before he came to Notre Dame. Alabama and Florida are pushing hard to convince Moore to prolong his recruitment into the fall, but a knockout weekend for Notre Dame could be too much for other programs to overcome.
Notre Dame would absolutely love to add Morrison and Moore to the class, and the duo would combine with Jaden Mickey to give the Irish an outstanding group of corners.
S Jake Pope - Pope is a versatile player that shines at wide receiver, safety and even plays in the slot some for Buford (Ga.) High School. He's a rangy and athletic player that can really run and hit. Pope visited North Carolina last weekend and will also visit Ohio State and Alabama in coming weeks. Pope seems to like Notre Dame, but I'm not as confident in his ending up in South Bend just yet, and won't until I hear that they absolutely crushed it this weekend during his visit.
Here are the prospects visiting June 14-16:
LB Jaylen Sneed - Notre Dame didn't get involved with Sneed until after Freeman was hired, but Irish defensive coordinator quickly made a move. Sneed is an exceptional athlete that has played off the ball and on the edge for Hilton Head (S.C.) High School. He has the range and athleticism to thrive as a rover, the power and short-area quickness to thrive as an inside backer and he shows the burst and length to thrive as a situational edge rusher. He's an incredibly diverse weapon that Notre Dame would love to have. Oregon is pushing hard and he visited the Ducks last weekend, but Notre Dame is clearly the team to beat.
DE Tyson Ford - Notre Dame commit
DE Darren Agu - Notre Dame commit
Irish Breakdown Content
Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Offense
Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Defense
2022 Big Board: Running Back
2022 Big Board: Slot Receivers
Notre Dame 2022 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2022 Class Big Board
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