Notre Dame Is Hoping To Find Safety Clarity In June

Calling the 2024 recruiting class a big one for safety recruiting would be a massive understatement. The previous two cycles have left a lot of doubt, including not signing a single safety recruit in the 2022 class and losing Oklahoma signee Peyton Bowen late in the 2023 process.

Not only does Chris O’Leary and the defensive staff need to sign impact talent in 2024, they also need to get numbers. As of now, the magic number appears to be three but could even be pushed to four depending on the situation.

The staff got off to a nice early start when they landed Chandler (Ariz.) High School standout Kennedy Urlacher earlier this month. Now heading into June, there appears to be a lot of clarity coming. Official visits will tell a comprehensive story for what this safety group will ultimately look like in the end.

Here are the important visitors to keep an eye on currently. Smart by the staff, they have the safety visits spread out to allow for a lot of one-on-one time.

Davis Andrews - American Fork (Utah) HS

One of the top safeties on the board for Notre Dame, Andrews is a player that the Irish staff has been high on for some time. The Utah native is scheduled to make his official visit on June 6-8.

Andrews has seen his offer list expand over the last few months. The interest has spread away from the general PAC 12 schools, including some Midwest and SEC interest as well. Some of the notable programs who have offered so far include the Irish, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah, Stanford, Arizona, Colorado, Washington State, Northwestern, Cal and BYU among others.

The 6-2, 190-pound athlete was a playmaker on the back end of the defense for American Fork. In twelve games, he recorded 45 total tackles, intercepted four passes, had three forced fumbles and recovered another.

As of now, Andrews will also be taking official visits to Utah and UCLA. Both of those visits are still being finalized in terms of dates. Notre Dame hopes to close during June.

Oliver Miles III - El Campo (Texas) HS

On June 9-11, Notre Dame will welcome Miles to campus for an official visit. The Texas native has become a priority for the staff, possessing impressive upside at the position to develop into a substantial performer.

Miles makes his biggest impact as a running quarterback for El Campo, finishing second on the team in rushing with 743 yards and six touchdowns on 77 carries, including a 9.6 yard per carry average. That was just behind running back Reuben Owens, who was rated as a five-star in the 2023 recruiting class.

The Texas native also recorded three interceptions on the defensive side of the football. Just to round it out, Miles was also the team’s leading punter averaging 37.2 yards per boot.

It should be no surprise after watching Miles' film to find out that he is one of the top track and field triple jumpers in the country. Miles has a personal best jump of 50’ 10”. He also has a personal best long lump of 22’8”.

Paul Mencke Jr. - Schertz (Texas) Samuel Clemens

The Texas standout is scheduled to visit campus for his official visit on June 2-4. That will be his second visit to campus since being in town on April 14-15. Mencke brings a free safety skill set that is very intriguing to the table.

Mencke is considered a near consensus three-star recruit. The exception is On3, who has him pegged as a four-star recruit. On that ranking, he currently sits as the No. 137 overall player and No. 11 safety in the 2024 recruiting class. He is also ranked as the No. 27 player in Texas, a state that Notre Dame has made a priority since Marcus Freeman took over.

As a junior, Mencke was a playmaker for Samuel Clemens. He collected 67 total tackles and three interceptions for the squad despite missing one game. The 6-2, 180-pound athlete also was a prominent performer at wide receiver.

Mencke already has official visits set to both Stanford and Duke in June as well. He also has a visit set up to Washington, which ironically enough is his father’s rival when he played at Washington State.

Some of his notable scholarship offers thus far include the Fighting Irish, Washington, Stanford, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington State, Iowa State, Arizona State, Duke and Kansas among others.

Marquis Gallegos - West Hills (Calif.) Chaminade

A player who has been on campus multiple times in the past, Gallegos is set to get back to South Bend on June 9-11. He has been a player who has been on the board for some time, with interest obviously being there from both sides.

Gallegos is being courted by several top programs right now. Some of his notable offers include the Fighting Irish, Michigan, USC, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M, Tennessee, UCLA, Washington, Nebraska, Michigan State, Colorado, Washington State and Cal among others.

The 6-0, 160-pound safety is rated as a near consensus four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform. He is ranked highest by On3, who rates him as the No. 160 overall player and No. 14 safety in the 2024 recruiting class. They also have Gallegos rated as the No. 9 player in the state of California.

Gallegos had a huge sophomore campaign for the Eagles program, finishing second on the team with 72 total tackles from his safety position. He also led the team with four interceptions and 11 pass breakups. Gallegos became a playmaker when he got his hands on the football, leading to 245 interception return yardage and three touchdowns.

The California standout followed that up with a fantastic junior season. Gallegos finished second on the team with 96 total tackles, four tackles for loss, seven interceptions and 11 pass breakups.

Like Mencke, Gallegos is a free safety type who does his best work playing from depth. Filling out and developing physically will be a huge point of emphasis for him moving forward. Notre Dame commit Kennedy Urlacher will also be on campus that weekend, a nice bump to help recruiting.

Jaylen McClain - West Orange (N.J.) Seton Hall Prep

There may not be a more talented recruit on the board than McClain, who the staff has been trying to get on campus for months. He will be making his first trip to campus on June 16-18.

McClain is currently ranked as high as the No. 105 overall player and No. 8 safety in the 2024 recruiting class according to On3. ESPN sees McClain similarly, currently pegging him as the No. 157 overall player and No. 14 safety in the class on their ranking.

The New Jersey standout had a fantastic junior campaign for Seton Hall Prep. From his safety position, he finished third on the team in tackles with 83 total. The 6-0, 185-pound defensive back also recorded an interception and sack on the season.

On the offensive side of the football, McClain also scored a touchdown as a wide receiver. His touches were limited on that side of the football.

His offer list grows more and more impressive seemingly by the day. Some of his other notable offers include Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, LSU, Miami, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Maryland, Syracuse, Minnesota, South Carolina, Louisville, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Boston College and Duke among others.

McClain is the type of game changer that the staff needs on the back end. Convincing him that he is a Notre Dame fit will be huge during this trip.

Notre Dame is also hoping to get both Maryland star Dejuan Lane on campus for official visits as well. Nothing has been cemented yet for either player. Players like Anthony Robinson and Malcolm Ziglar are still new to the board but are worth keeping an eye on.

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Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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