Notre Dame Targets Who Rose In Updated 2021 Rivals Rankings
Rivals updated its national rankings for the class of 2021 on Tuesday, and there were plenty of Notre Dame targets who made big moves.
• The Clarkston (Mich.) High offensive line duo of Rocco Spindler and Garrett Dellinger both had strong performances at the Future 50 event down in Orlando, Fla. in January and saw positive bumps in the rankings.
Spindler moved up 22 spots and now is the No. 55 prospect nationally, while Dellinger moved up 93 spots to No. 155 in the land. Spindler and Dellinger are long time Notre Dame targets and are expected to visit South Bend for the weekend of March 20.
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• Notre Dame offensive line coach Jeff Quinn extended an offer to Fairfax (Va.) Robinson offensive tackle Tristan Leigh during the January contact period, and Leigh made an enormous jump in the rankings as well. He moved from the No. 157 prospect to No. 26, a jump of 131 spots.
Another target for Quinn and the Fighting Irish in the DMV area who received a bump in the national rankings was Olney (Md.) Good Counsel lineman Landon Tengwall, who rose from No. 35 to No. 27.
• Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees was out recruiting in the Omaha, Neb. area in January and extended a new tight end offer to Council Bluffs (Iowa) Lewis Central School's Thomas Fidone. The 6-5, 217-pounder was another big mover, as the new Notre Dame target now ranks as the No. 60 prospect nationally, a bump of 144 spots.
• One of Notre Dame's biggest cornerback targets saw a nice rise in the Rivals rankings. Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola's Ceyair Wright moved up 26 pots from No. 145 to No. 119. Wright visited Notre Dame in December and loved his time on campus.
"The visit was great," Wright told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I really appreciate the honesty and transparency of everyone on the campus. I had an amazing time."
• A pair of Irish targets in the Peach State went from nationally unranked four-star recruits to into the Rivals250. Suwannee (Ga.) North Gwinnett cornerback Jordan Hancock, who added an offer from Notre Dame in December, now ranks as the No. 136 prospect in the land.
Carrollton (Ga.) High linebacker Chaz Chambliss was ranked as a three-star prospect last year, and now he has jumped into the Rivals250 and sits at No. 183 nationally. Chambliss was actually Notre Dame's first offer in the 2021 class, and defensive line coach Mike Elston continues to recruit the 6-3, 243-pounder.
• Notre Dame's newest wide receiver offer in the 2021 class went out to Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbon's Troy Stellato in January. The 6-1, 175-pounder speedster is one of the hottest prospects nationally, and Rivals 25 spots to No. 176 in America.
Click here to see the full 2021 national rankings.
Here's where the rest of the uncommitted Notre Dame targets in the Rivals100 and Rivals250 rank:
(December rankings update to February rankings update)
RB Camar Wheaton: No. 6 to No. 7
WR Emeka Egbuka: No. 11 (ranking unchanged)
CB Jakailin Johnson: No. 29 to No. 34
OL Nolan Rucci: No. 30 to No. 34
LB Barrett Carter: No. 31 to No. 35
RB Will Shipley: No. 33 to No. 36
DE Tunmise Adeleye: No. 43 to No. 44
WR Dont'e Thornton Jr.: No. 51 to No. 52
RB Donovan Edwards: No. 58 to No. 59
LB/S Derrick Davis: No. 84 to No. 78
LB Smael Mondon: No. 38 to No. 82
OL Kinglsey Suamataia: No. 94 to No. 98
TE/ATH Brock Bowers: No. 101 to No. 106
S JD Coffey: No. 109 to No. 112
DE Aaron Armitage: No. 110 to No. 113
RB Corey Kiner: No. 114 to No. 117
WR Jayden Thomas: No. 113 to No. 122
DE George Rooks: No. 116 to No. 123
OL Wyatt Milum: No. 152 to No. 158
DE Jabari Ishmael: No. 187 to No. 191
DE Najee Story: No. 182 to No. 195
DE Zavier Carter: No. 192 to No. 198
OL Reuben Fatheree: No. 200 to No. 206
CB Ishmael Ibraheem: No. 202 to No. 208
OLB/DE Jeremiah Williams: No. 212 to No. 220
DE Kechaun Bennett: No. 239 to No. 245
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