Notre Dame And Recruits Must Adjust Visit Plans
Until the COVID-19 threat is at least diminished, visits will be on hold. Per NCAA mandate, all in-person recruiting - both on campus and off campus - has been suspended.
Does the COVID-19 virus hurt or help Notre Dame recruiting? It’s debatable, but Irish fans should only expect visit dates to change, and not much else. Recruits and college football programs will adjust, but it’s not what’s important for now. Everyone’s safety comes first.
With that in mind, do note that these prospects are used to a routine and it’s been undeniably interrupted.
Prospects across the land continue to figure if and when they will take visits at any point this spring. In fact, some of them worry about even practicing for spring football. That probably takes precedence for many of them over recruiting, at least for now.
During an otherwise harmless browse of Twitter, 2022 running back Anthony Hankerson’s retweet about spring practice placed things into perspective. The elite talent from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas absolutely loves football, as evidenced by this emoji for his retweet:
That’s how young people communicate in today’s high school and college football world, and with the COVID-19 virus being the planet’s biggest problem right now, staying behind a computer or cell phone proves to be a great idea. Hankerson and his 5-10, 190-pound frame will get to do spring practice, hopefully.
Here’s a quick look at Hankerson (No. 31) from the Under Armour Camp that was held at current Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Austin’s high school alma mater, North Broward Prep. Trust me, Notre Dame will be one of many elite programs to go after Hankerson. Great prospect and great young man.
So, how does Notre Dame proceed with its recruiting now that all those precious visits have been suspended? Simple, reschedule.
News flash to those on the ledge about Notre Dame recruiting, all schools are going through the same issue. In speaking with several recruits during the past 72-hours, one thing became obvious. Recruits will simply visit when they can. That’s all they can do.
The situation with the coronavirus does make it difficult to project when visits will once again be allowed, but here’s a glimpse into what a few recruits let me know.
“Thanks, it is crazy,” Mansfield (Texas) Legacy defensive David Abiara stated when asked if he was doing well. “A lot of visits I had planned have been cancelled.”
The 6-4, 245-pound end admitted that trips to Notre Dame, Oklahoma and LSU would be off the books, for now. He’s one of Notre Dame’s top end targets.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Abiara planned to take an unofficial visit to Notre Dame (March 20). Look for that visit to take place down the line. The Irish remain a strong contender for his services.
Another prime Irish target, Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon cornerback DJ Harvey, previously planned to visit Notre Dame in early May. He also planned a couple of West Coast visits as well.
“We were supposed to go to Oregon State and the University of Oregon from April 15-18,” DJ Harvey, Sr. said of his plans for his son and himself. “We were also trying to get out to South Bend the beginning of May.”
The younger Harvey is one of the best athletes out West. He’s a 5-11, 175-pound athlete that most schools project to play cornerback at the next level, but could also end up at wide receiver or even running back. The Sierra Canyon prospect is absolutely a dynamic playmaker and one that Irish fans should remember moving forward. Here’s a look at Harvey’s highlights:
Back east, defensive end/outside linebacker target Kechaun Bennett continues to communicate with Notre Dame. He’s just now starting to figure out what’s going to happen, just like other recruits and college coaches.
“Yeah, I spoke to (Notre Dame defensive line) Coach (Mike) Elston,” Bennett said of his recent communication with the Irish. “We’re going to plan out a visit day after this little epidemic.”
A rare high-level edge defender from the northeast, the 6-3, 220-pound prospect comes from Suffield (Conn.) Academy. Notre Dame and Michigan could be the two best bets early on.
Recently offered Notre Dame offensive tackle target Caleb Johnson and his family previously planned a big unofficial visit swing for spring break. That’s been pushed back. They did have visits set for next week. Caleb’s father, Aaron, provided the previous itinerary.
“Auburn Monday, Ole Miss Tuesday, Mississippi State Wednesday, LSU Thursday, and Georgia Saturday,” Mr. Johnson said. As for the summer, Mr. Johnson mentioned several camps that his son will try to reach.
“Arizona State, Penn State, Auburn, Notre Dame and Alabama,” he said. “Probably camp at each, compete and work with (offensive) line coach to get a feel for the coaching style. Caleb loves competition.”
At the recent Orlando Under Armour Camp, Johnson came in at 6-7, 290. He plays for Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic.
With all of the changes to recruiting, one thing remains the same: all the schools and recruits placed recruiting on hold. Notre Dame will be just fine. Recruiting will simply play out a little later than it usually does, for Irish and recruits.
