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Notre Dame Football Recruiting: TJ Sheffield Decommits After Irish Refuse His Commitment

This is not unexpected.

By Joshua Vowles
TJ Sheffield
Twitter @TomLoy247

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will not be who TJ Sheffield will be signing with on National Signing Day. Sheffield has decommitted after hearing from Notre Dame that his commitment will not be accepted.

“After establishing a long-term relationship with coach Alexander, the receivers coach for Notre Dame, I called him on the morning of the 6th of July and stat to him my intensions to commit, Coach Alexander then congratulated me on committing and he spoke with my parents as well, stating that he looked forward to coaching me. Today I received a call from coach Alexander stating that Notre Dame was not going to honor my commitment due to a change of plans. Coach Alexander stated that he should have let me know on the 6th of July that Notre Dame had different plans. As a result of the information that I received today, my recruitment is now back open. I completely accept Notre Dame’s decision as God’s will for me and know that God has an open door that no man can shut. Thats again to Notre Dame for considering me as a possibility for their program Sincerely, TJ Sheffield. #2.”

This was certainly a possibility when TJ committed five days ago. The Brian Kelly Twitter account never tweeted the normal “#WeAreND” after the announcement, and even after Sheffield stated that he was shutting down his recruitment, there were crickets.

This all sounds more like SEC signing day drama than Notre Dame football recruiting in July, but that is the state of things right now with this class.

It’s hard to fathom the Irish not wanting a 4 Star wide receiver, but they have really tried to keep the numbers tight with certain players that they have specifically targeted. Sheffield isn’t the only one this cycle that the Irish have “turned away.” Another notable was 4 Star running back Chez Mellusi who eventually committed to the Clemson Tigers.

I hope Notre Dame doesn’t end up regretting these decisions.

Sheffield, a one time commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers, was also considering the Purdue Boilermakers and Arkansas Razorbacks. So... I imagine they are back in the fold.

I don’t like how this all went down, but given that the only official word can come from Sheffield since the Notre Dame coaching staff can not speak publicly about a recruit — we only have one side of the story so far.

Good luck to TJ in the future.

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

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