There are not any visits and we are technically in a dead period, but that has not slowed down Notre Dame football recruiting.
Whether it was a headline that makes a Fighting Irish fan smile or one that makes them want to throw their phones, this past week was busy.
Notre Dame Lands Two New 2021 Commitments
Just a couple weeks ago, some experts pegged Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale cornerback Philip Riley to land with Virginia Tech. But the Notre Dame coaching staff worked incredibly hard to turn the tide to their favor.
Riley, a 6-0, 190-pound four-star prospect, has not been to Notre Dame. To our knowledge, he has never even had in-person contact with the Irish staff. Notre Dame offered him a scholarship March 25, and he quickly built a strong relationship with cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens, defensive coordinator Clark Lea and head coach Brian Kelly.
“They gave me a different perspective on everything,” Riley said. “They really pushed hard for me. I feel like Notre Dame is a perfect fit for me socially, academically and football-wise.
“I was fine committing without visiting the campus. I know I’m going to love it; it’s a historical place. It was comforting to know that I’m going to be in a stable situation with a great coaching staff and great academics.”
Riley moved from the state of Washington down to the Tampa, Fla., area in December 2018. His stepfather retired from the military, and Riley’s family decided to move down to the Sunshine State and be closer to family.
He committed to the Fighting Irish over Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, USC, Virginia Tech and others.
RELATED: Four-Star CB Philip Riley Is ‘Ride Or Die’ With Notre Dame
Riley made his commitment to Notre Dame Tuesday, while Warwick (R.I.) Bishop Hendricken School defensive end Jason Onye made his announcement on Thursday.
Like Riley, Onye has never visited campus before. However, he has seen Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston at his school a couple of times and has been building a relationship with him and the staff since receiving the Irish scholarship offer in December.
“I’m pretty comfortable to be honest,” Onye said about his decision. “The fans, the commits, everyone loves it. I’m pretty sure I’ll love it too once I get on campus.”
Why did Onye pick Notre Dame?
“What they can offer to me besides football,” he answered. “I appreciated how Coach Elston came to my school twice; most coaches won’t do that. It’s Rhode Island; who comes here? I felt really wanted, and he recruited me hard.”
The 6-5, 248-pounder committed to Notre Dame over Arizona, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. In total, Rivals reports that Onye holds 17 scholarship offers.
RELATED: 2021 DE Jason Onye Commits To Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Will Shipley Picks Clemson, New RB Offers Go Out
Riley’s commitment softened the blow a bit of losing out on arguably the Fighting Irish’s biggest recruiting targets.
Less than an hour before Riley’s announcement, Matthews (N.C.) Weddington running back Will Shipley committed to Clemson over Notre Dame, North Carolina, Stanford and others.
In an interview with Rivals.com’s Adam Friedman about his commitment to Clemson, Shipley discussed not choosing the Irish.
“Notre Dame did an absolutely incredible job,” Shipley said. “Coach [Lance] Taylor, Coach [Brian] Kelly, and Coach [Tommy] Rees, the push that they made really over the last month made it very, very close at one point. Looking back and putting this in god's hands, he showed me what I needed to see. Clemson, in my mind, is no question the place that I need to be at.
“It was great to be connected with so many people and have so many great relationships in and around Notre Dame. I would say that it added a little bit of pressure. When you ultimately make your decision and you're disappointing all of those relationships that you have created, it’s tough on you. It was definitely tough on me when I had to call the coaches and call the commits and let them know. I have created such good relationships with them and that made it tough on me. I loved all the relationships I created and I absolutely just cherish all of them.”
Notre Dame running backs coach Lance Taylor dished out three new offers after Shipley picked the Tigers. Metaire (La.) Rummel’s Logan Diggs, Conroe (Texas) Oak Ridge’s Alton McCaskill and Cypress (Texas) Fairbanks’ LJ Johnson all added the Fighting Irish to their respective offer lists.
“I’d say they’re rising close at the top with everyone else,” Diggs told BlueandGold.com. “I’m really looking to go to a school that’s great both academically and athletically. They really fit that.”
RELATED: Texas RB Alton McCaskill Breaks Down Notre Dame Offer
Notre Dame Coaches Staying Busy In 2022 Class As Well
The spring evaluation period is a time for the Notre Dame coaches not only to scout potential offer candidates in the rising senior class but also to identify prospects in the rising junior class. The Irish offered double-digit prospects in the 2022 class last week.
Here are the recruits listed in alphabetical order:
Beaumont (Texas) Westbrook cornerback Bryce Anderson — 6-0, 185 pounds (four-star LSU commit)
St. Louis St. Mary's athlete Kevin Coleman — 5-11, 170 pounds (four-star)
Chantilly (Va.) High defensive end Aiden Gobaiara — 6-5, 210 pounds
Pilot Mountain (N.C.) East Surry tight end Benji Gosnell — 6-4, 210 pounds
Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei cornerback Domani Jackson — 6-1, 180 pounds (five-star)
Caledonia (Minn.) High wide receiver Elijah King — 6-3, 185 pounds
Naples (Fla.) High safety Devin Moore — 6-3, 182 pounds
Milton (Ga.) High tight end Jack Nickel — 6-4, 230 pounds
Jefferson (Ga.) High athlete Malaki Starks — 6-2, 191 pounds (four-star)
Lafayette (La.) Acadiana cornerback Laterrance Welch — 6-1, 180 pounds
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