National Signing Day 2017: Jalen Harris Turns Down Notre Dame And Stays With Arizona

Fans of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish didn’t have to wait long to find out the decision of defensive end Jalen Harris, the talented diamond in the rough from Arizona. After a whirlwind recruitment that had the Irish trending up for the last couple of weeks, Harris, who had been committed to the Arizona Wildcats for months, decided to stick with that commitment.

This certainly comes as a disappointment for Notre Dame- but it wasn’t a surprise. There were high hopes in signing Harris after an amazing official visit to Notre Dame last weekend that blew away not only Jalen, but his parents as well. They were so impressed, they signed off on Harris committing to the Irish if that’s what he wanted.

Jalen’s parents are both Arizona alums, and Jalen’s father played linebacker for the Wildcat football team. So, for Notre Dame to have done well enough for them to let Jalen decide for himself was a really nice job for the Irish.

It just wasn’t enough.

The family ties to Arizona aside, Harris had been committed for a very long time and over the course of that time, he had bonded with the other recruits, players, and coaches. Sometimes that’s just too much to overcome, and especially difficult for a school to beat that when they only just offered a few weeks ago.

For the Irish, there is plenty of buzz going on right now about other possible recruits they may sign on signing day. So, even with the loss of this battle in hand, the Irish and its fans remain optimistic about the day to come. Will Russ Yeast be flipped from the Louisville Cardinals? Can the Irish close with Kofi Wardlow, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, or Myron Tagovoila-Amosa? Can we even prounce these names properly? All those answers will be provided over the next 18 hours.

Get a good seat.