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Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Irish are on the verge of losing a commit to Michigan

Not great news

By Joshua Vowles
Toledo v Notre Dame Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

It’s mostly been quiet on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish recruiting front over the last month as high school seasons and college season are well underway. Official visits, however, are happening and given the nature of how schools across the country had to operate with all of the COVID restrictions for the last 18 months — it may be a wild ride to December.

One of Notre Dame’s current commitments is looking more and more as a likely candidate to flip his pledge soon. 3-Star WR Amorion Walker has made several visits to see the Michigan Wolverines, and recent 247 Crystal Balls have him flipping to the team up north.

Ron Bellamy, Michigan’s safeties coach, is a close friend of the Walker family and is from Louisiana (Walker’s home state). It would appear that the relationship may pay off for the Wolverines in this regard.

Walker wasn’t even ranked when the Irish offered and when he committed, some questioned if he should even be in this class. As time marched on, and Walker received more and more offers (like the Alabama Crimson Tide) it became clear that Del Alexander knew what he was doing, and Walker was a special talent.

Notre Dame Football’s 2022 Commit List (22)

SIGNED POSITION PLAYER STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE On3 On3Consensus COMMIT DATE ENROLLED
SIGNED POSITION PLAYER STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE On3 On3Consensus COMMIT DATE ENROLLED
☘️ OL Joey Tanona Indiana 6'5" 280 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/25/20 ✅
☘️ LB Nolan Ziegler Michigan 6'4" 205 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/22/20 ✅
☘️ OL Ty Chan Massachusetts 6'6" 275 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/2020 -
☘️ DE Tyson Ford Missouri 6'5" 250 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 01/18/21 ✅
☘️ DE Aiden Gobaira Virginia 6'6" 235 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 02/06/21 ✅
☘️ RB Jadarian Price Texas 5'11" 180 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 02/21/21 ✅
☘️ QB Steve Angeli New Jersey 6'3" 215 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 03/04/21 ✅
☘️ CB Jaden Mickey California 5'11" 175 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 03/14/21 ✅
☘️ LB Joshua Burnham Michigan 6'4" 215 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 03/17/21 ✅
☘️ TE Eli Raridon Iowa 6'6" 228 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 05/02/21 -
☘️ TE Holden Staes Georgia 6'5" 230 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 05/07/21 -
☘️ DT Donovan Hinish Pennsylvania 6'2" 275 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/04/21 -
☘️ LB Niuafe Tuihalamaka California 6'2" 235 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/19/21 ✅
☘️ OL Ashton Craig Indiana 6'5" 283 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/26/21 -
☘️ DB Jayden Bellamy New Jersey 5'11" 175 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/02/21 ✅
☘️ LB Jaylen Sneed South Carolina 6'2" 210 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/12/21 ✅
☘️ CB Benjamin Morrison Arizona 6'0" 170 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/15/21 -
☘️ WR Tobias Merriweather Washington 6'4" 185 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/04/21 -
☘️ OL Aamil Wagner Ohio 6'6" 265 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/11/21 -
☘️ P Bryce McFerson North Carolina 6'1" 175 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 11/21/21 -
☘️ OL Billy Schrauth Wisconsin 6'5" 300 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/9/21 ✅
☘️ RB Gi'Bran Payne Ohio 5'10" 190 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 04/15/22 -

I’m uncertain if Walker is being recruited as a safety or as a wide receiver at Michigan, but whatever they are selling him... he and his family appear to be buying. I’m also uncertain how much longer this recruitment will take, but Notre Dame still very much want him in this class. Hopefully the Irish can convince him to stay, but it’s looking unlikely at the moment.

At the moment, Notre Dame has just three wide receivers committed in this class. Even if Xavier Watts moves back to WR next year, the numbers look really low for the Irish as we shouldn’t expect all 3 seniors to come back for a fifth year.

2022 Notre Dame Football Scholarship Chart

Position / Year Freshmen Sophomore Junior Senior 5th/6th Year
Position / Year Freshmen Sophomore Junior Senior 5th/6th Year
Quarterback Steve Angeli Tyler Buchner, Ron Powlus III Drew Pyne - -
Running Back Jadarian Price, Gi'Bran Payne Logan Diggs, Audric Estime Chris Tyree - -
Tight End Eli Raridon, Holden Staes Cane Berrong, Mitchell Evans Michael Mayer, Kevin Bauman - -
Wide Receiver Tobias Merriweather Lorenzo Styles, Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas - - Braden Lenzy, Joe Wilkins, Avery Davis, Matt Salerno
Center Ashton Craig Pat Coogan - Zeke Correll Jarrett Patterson
Guard Billy Schrauth Rocco Spindler - Andrew Kristofic, Josh Lugg
Tackle Joey Tanona, Ty Chan, Aamil Wagner Blake Fisher, Joe Alt, Caleb Johnson Michael Carmody, Tosh Baker - -
Defensive Tackle Donovan Hinish, Tyson Ford Gabriel Rubio Aidan Keanaaina, Rylie Mills Howard Cross, Jacob Lacey Jayson Ademilola, Chris Smith
Defensive End Aiden Gobaira Jason Onye, Will Schweitzer Alexander Ehrensberger, Jordan Botelho NaNa Osafo-Mensah, Isaiah Foskey, Osita Ekwonu Justin Ademilola
Linebacker Nolan Ziegler, Joshua Burnham, Junior Tuihalamaka, Jaylen Sneed Prince Kollie - Jack Kiser, Marist Liufau, JD Bertrand Bo Bauer
Safety Jayden Bellamy Justin Walters Xavier Watts, Ramon Henderson, Brandon Joesph - D.J. Brown, Houston Griffith
Cornerback Jayden Mickey, Benjamin Morrison Ryan Barnes, Chance Tucker, Philip Riley Clarence Lewis Cam Hart TaRiq Bracy
Specialists Bryce McFerson (P) Josh Bryan (K) Alex Peitsch (LS) - Michael Vinson (LS), Blake Grupe (K)
Totals 22/85 (22) 45/85 (23) 60/85 (15) 71/85 (11) 86/85 (15)

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