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Notre Dame Football Recruiting: What You Need To Know About Early Signing Day 2018

There’s a big day right around the corner.

By Joshua Vowles
Hunter Spears, Jacob Lacey, Kyren Williams notre dame
Hunter Spears, Jacob Lacey, Kyren Williams
Mike Miller/One Foot Down

With a playoff bid in the Cotton Bowl in hand for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, we can start to look towards year two of the early signing period in college football recruiting. Last year was the first time that the NCAA allowed recruits to sign their NLI before the normal National Signing Day (the first Wednesday of February), and it was a huge success.

WHEN IS THE EARLY SIGNING PERIOD?

The early signing period for football begins on Wednesday, December 19. It will last for three days and then end on Friday, December 21. Last year, Braden Lenzy signed on the last day of the early signing period.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Notre Dame signed a huge 27 man class last recruiting cycle, and 21 of those recruits signed during the early signing period. The other 6, committed and signed on the February signing day. This was extremely important on several levels.

  • Helps clarify the “numbers game” with a month and a half until Signing Day in February.
  • Maximizes resources to finish strong in February.
  • Allows coaches to spend less time on the road recruiting.
  • Eliminates a lot of the chaos surrounding signing day.

For Notre Dame last year, it also helped with the uncertainty that came after defensive coordinator Mike Elko and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand left.

WHAT SHOULD IRISH FANS EXPECT THIS YEAR?

More of the same — and that’s great. All 22 of Notre Dame’s current verbal commitments are expected to sign with the Irish this month.

Notre Dame Football’s 2019 Commit List (23)

POSITION PLAYER STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE COMMIT DATE
POSITION PLAYER STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE COMMIT DATE
RB Kyren Williams Missouri 5'10" 200 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6/21/18
WR Cam Hart Maryland 6'3" 190 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/04/18
DE NaNa Osafo-Mensah Texas 6'4" 231 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 05/19/18
DT Jacob Lacey Kentucky 6'2" 285 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 7/29/17
DT Hunter Spears Texas 6'4" 280 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2/20/18
LB Osita Ekwonu North Carolina 6'2" 220 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6/14/18
QB Brendon Clark Virginia 6'2" 217 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/04/18
LB Jack Kiser Indiana 6'2" 215 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6/12/18
OL Zeke Correll Ohio 6'4" 270 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6/18/18
OL John Olmstead New Jersey 6'6" 290 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/20/18
P Jay Bramblett Alabama 6'2" 175 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/30/18
CB KJ Wallace Georgia 5'10" 187 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/28/18
S Litchfield Ajavon Virginia 6'1" 185 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/21/18
DE Howard Cross New Jersey 6'2" 260 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/22/18
S Kyle Hamilton Georgia 6'3" 188 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/24/18
OL Andrew Kristofic Pennsylvania 6'6" 265 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/23/18
OL Quinn Carroll Minnesota 6'6" 295 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 05/01/18
WR Kendall Abdur-Rahman Illinois 6'1" 180 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 09/09/18
CB Isaiah Rutherford California 6’0” 175 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/13/18
K Harrison Leonard Connecticut 5’11” 180 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/18/18
LB Marist Liufua Hawaii 6'3" 210 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/14/18
LB J.D. Bertrand Georgia 6’1” 220 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/19/18
DE Isaiah Foskey California 6'4" 240 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2/6/19

With that number, Notre Dame is looking at another tight number crunch with its scholarships for 2019. Because of this, the number of 2019 targets that the actively pursue to sign in February will be very small.

2019 Notre Dame Football Scholarship Chart

Position/Year Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior 5th Year
Position/Year Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior 5th Year
Quarterback Brendon Clark Phil Jurkovec* Ian Book*
Running Back Kyren Williams Jahmir Smith*, C'Bo Flemister* Jafar Armstrong* Tony Jones Jr.*
Tight End ⭐️ George Takacs*, Tommy Tremble* Cole Kmet, Brock Wright
Wide Receiver Cam Hart, Kendall Abdur-Rahman Micah Jones*, Kevin Austin, Braden Lenzy*, Lawrence Keys III*, Joe Wilkins Jr.* Michael Young, Isaiah Robertson Chase Claypool, Javon McKinley* Chris Finke
Center Zeke Correll Jarrett Patterson* Trevor Ruhland
Guard John Olmstead John Dirksen* Dillan Gibbons*, Aaron Banks* Tommy Kraemer*
Tackle Andrew Kristofic, Quinn Carroll Cole Mabry* Robert Hainsey, Josh Lugg* Liam Eichenberg*
Defensive Tackle Jacob Lacey, Hunter Spears Jayson Ademilola, Ja'mion Franklin* Kurt Hinish, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa*
Defensive End Howard Cross, NaNa Osafo-Mensah, Isaiah Foskey Justin Ademilola*, Ovie Oghoufo* Kofi Wardlow* Ade Ogundeji*, Daelin Hayes, Khalid Kareem, Julian Okwara, Jamir Jones
Linebacker Jack Kiser, Osi Ekwonu, Marist Luifau, JD Bertrand Matt Bauer, Jack Lamb*, Shayne Simon, Paul Moala Drew White*, Jordan Genmark Heath, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah* Jonathan Jones* Asmar Bilal
Safety Litchfield Ajavon, Kyle Hamilton D.J. Brown* Jalen Elliott, Alohi Gilman*
Cornerback K.J. Wallace, Isaiah Rutherford Tariq Bracy, Houston Griffith Avery Davis* Troy Pride Jr., Donte Vaughn Shaun Crawford**
Specialists Jay Bramblett John Doerer John Shannon*
22/85 (22) 46/85 (24) 63/85 (17) 80/85 (17) 84/85 (4)
*Eligible For 5th Year **Eligible For 6th Year Rovers count as LB’s

One Foot Down will cover the early signing period from top to bottom, and will provide any and all updates in the world of Notre Dame recruiting.

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