2015 Notre Dame Recruiting Big Board: DT, DE, ILB

"FRANKLIN!!" HE SAID SHAKING HIS FIST.

Welcome back to the latest installment of the One Foot Down Recruiting Big Board for Notre Dame Football. We are continuing to bring you monthly updates at each positional grouping. Today we swing back around to the big bodies on defense.

Since our last update at this position Penn State head coach James Franklin nabbed (MD) Adam McLean .947 as the Nittany Lions have raced out to the No. 1 spot in the team recruiting rankings. At one point not long ago McLean was set to visit South Bend but it didn't happen.

Joseph Wicker is a recent new offer by Notre Dame. He's from Long Beach, California and was formerly a Washington commit. He's now favoring Miami who are one of his few non-West Coast offers.

Not much info of late on Darrion Daniels but he's someone to keep an eye out for in the coming months. The Irish have put in the work with him and are making moves in Texas.

Elijah Taylor is really the big target at this position right now. He made his second spring visit to Notre Dame this past weekend and both sides are high on each other. He also just visited Tennessee and will be at Ohio State tomorrow. Watch out for the Buckeyes who offered less than 3 weeks ago. This may come down to how bad Ohio State wants him right now.

The lowest rated defensive end on Notre Dame's Big Board is no longer up there. That's because (FL) Scott Patchan .867 committed to Miami over the weekend.

Notre Dame recently offered Georgia commit (GA) Chauncey Rivers .934 and I don't expect him to leave the Dawgs any time soon.

Dre'Mont Jones is another offer by Notre Dame that could heat up but Ohio State seems in much better position right now. He's coming off a spring game visit to Columbus and thought about committing over the weekend. He's interested in Michigan and Notre Dame but it may never get that far.

Unfortunately, the Cretin Derham product Jashon Cornell wasn't able to make it Notre Dame's spring game after his workout at the Chicago Nike Training Football Camp. Not a huge blow but the Irish were perceived to be major leaders in his recruitment last summer--he has a great relationship with former CDHS teammate James Onwualu--but there's a belief that several other programs have firmly entered the mix here.

Cornell has set an announcement during his first senior game on August 28th. An earlier decision may favor Notre Dame but that becomes less likely if he doesn't visit again at some point and continues to be courted by Michigan, Penn State, and a couple other schools.

Something to remember for the future is Natrez Patrick coming to camp at Notre Dame in June.

Penn State won another early recruiting battle by getting a verbal from (IN) Josh Barajas .931 on March 30th. He went from being a heavy Notre Dame lean--and given the Hot designation on our last Big Board--to visiting Penn State a few weeks later and committing to the Nittany Lions after falling prey to James Franklin's infectious enthusiasm which included doing the worm and spraying the kicker with water during practice. Notre Dame may be able to get back in this race, but Barajas has shut things down. For now.

A couple weekends ago Notre Dame offered another highly rated in-state prospect in Asmar Bilal when he came to South Bend. He's not quite the prototypical inside linebacker but the Irish staff like his frame after seeing him in person during his visit.

Bilal said a highlight of Notre Dame visit was talking with fellow Hoosier & current Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith pic.twitter.com/nuQkO2pvEi

— Anna Hickey (@AnnaHScout) April 5, 2014

Bilal is a great student and would fit well at Notre Dame. He's carrying mostly Midwestern offers and the belief is he won't be venturing too far from home. The Irish, along with Michigan, appear to be running out it front right now.