7/21/2017 football Edit

Inside Look: 2018 WR Kevin Austin

David McKinney • InsideNDSports

Recruiting Reporter

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Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep wide receiver Kevin Austin has been a Notre Dame target for almost a year.

Austin, the No. 28 receiver in the class of 2018 and No. 141 overall player in the country, was offered by the Irish on August 29, 2016, and has been a top priority at wide receiver ever since.

He holds offers from all over the country, including Notre Dame, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, Oregon, Tennessee, North Carolina, NC State, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Clemson and several others.

Soon after visiting South Bend for the Blue-Gold game on April 22, Austin announced a list of his top four schools that included Notre Dame, Miami, Duke and Tennessee. He committed to Notre Dame on August 11.

THE LATEST

Austin committing to Notre Dame gives the Irish a pair of Rivals250 wide receivers, including Gurnee (Ill.) Warren Township four-star Micah Jones. Notre Dame now has nine Rivals250 players in the class.

BIO AND STATS

* Nominated to play in the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
* Named to the Miami Herald's All-Broward Football Team following his junior season
* Caught 41 passes for 1,021 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior and had 454 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 46 carries.
* As a sophomore, caught 43 passes for 713 yards and 12 touchdowns. Also had 118 yards on 9 carries with one touchdown.

OFFSEASON UPDATE

The summer of 2017 was a busy one for Austin. The four-star participated in Nike Football's The Opening Finals Miami Regional on Feb. 26, and earned an invite to The Opening Finals.

Austin participated in The Opening Finals in Beaverton, Ore. from June 28-July , and was named to the All-Tournament Team by SportsRecruits following the event.

Austin also participated in the Rivals Five-Star Challenge in Indianapolis on June 9-11, receiving an invite following his performance at the Rivals Three-Stripe Camp on March 26.

THEY SAID IT

"He’s an extremely hard worker. Kids gravitate to him. He’s a winner, but most of all, he’s a playmaker. He wants the ball in his hands when the game is in the clutch. He craves that." - North Broward head coach Rex Nottage

"Austin’s size has always been an asset but he’s getting better at using it. He was one of the standouts in a good wide receiver group and proved that he has solid acceleration to go with his strong frame and hands." - Rivals.Com Staff following Austin's performance at the Five-Star Challenge.

"Austin has never lacked for size and he seems to be becoming more explosive by the month. Sunday wasn’t his most dominant day by any means, but he showed off the blend of strength and quickness that makes him a four-star prospect."- Rivals.com Staff following Austin's performance at The Rivals Three-Stripe Camp in Miami

BGI EVALUATION

"Austin is an already talented and productive player that is just beginning to tap into his full potential. He checked in at 6-3 and 198 pounds at the Nike Football The Opening Regional in Miami. Austin has a strong frame that he'll be able to add at least 10-12 more pounds to. Austin’s physicality and strength is already a big part of his game, and his advanced use of a stiff arm with the ball makes him dangerous after the catch. He hauled in 41 passes for 1021 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior, but he also chipped in with 454 rushing yards and six scores.

Austin is a quality athlete with impressive long speed, good foot quickness and very good long speed. There is some untapped speed potential there, so expect Austin to become a more dynamic speed player once he spends some time in a college strength program. Austin’s balance and lower body strength are traits that help make him effective after the catch and he showed some wiggle with the ball in his hands at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge. Austin’s ball skills are outstanding; he tracks the deep ball well and makes a lot of tough catches in traffic.

Austin will need some technique refinement, and once that happens his game will really take off. He especially needs work with his release off the line against on and off coverage."

- BGI football Analyst Bryan Driskell.

Checkout the full wide receiver Big Board HERE.