Recruiting Notebook: Underclassmen Prospects Rave About Notre Dame
Three underclassmen prospects who recently visited the Notre Dame Fighting Irish discuss their experiences in South Bend.
Notre Dame Offer Would Be Big For 2022 Tight End Jack Nickel
Milton (Ga.) High class of 2022 tight end Jack Nickel’s high school coach was in contact with Notre Dame, and the 6-4, 230-pounder received an invite to visit South Bend for the USC game Oct. 12.
Nickel made the trip up to Notre Dame and had a great time.
“I thought the campus was nice, the atmosphere was crazy, and I’ll definitely be back," Nickel said. “The game atmosphere was impressive. Obviously, USC is a huge rival, so that was a crazy game.”
Nickel — who holds early offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Purdue, Virginia Tech and others — didn’t get to talk to the Irish coaching staff very much while he was on the visit.
“They want me to come back so they can spend more time with me,” Nickel said.
Nickel’s father is Paul Nickel, who played for Stanford in the early 1990s. He was a part of a Cardinal team that upset Notre Dame in 1990.
If the younger Nickel lands an offer from the Fighting Irish, it would certainly be one that would fire him up.
“That would be huge,” Nickel said. “That was actually one of my dad’s favorite schools growing up, and it’s one of my favorites. That would be a really exciting one.”
Nickel plans to visit Florida State Nov. 2 and also hopes to see a handful of schools after the season, including Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina State, Penn State and Ohio State.
Three-Star Defensive End Tyson Watson Talks Notre Dame Visit
Warren (Mich.) Mott class of 2021 strongside defensive end Tyson Watson visited Notre Dame Sept. 14 for the Irish’s home opener against New Mexico.
“It was definitely different than other visits I’ve been on,” Watson said. “The stadium was just crazy. The indoor facility was nice. I know they have great education there too. It was a very enjoyable visit.”
Watson is ranked as a three-star prospect, the No. 13 prospect in the state of Michigan and the No. 26 strongside defensive end nationally by Rivals.
The junior got to meet with Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston during the visit.
“I talked to him for a little bit,” Watson said. “He asked about how my games have been doing and what I weighed in at.”
A Notre Dame offer would be huge for the 6-5, 248-pound Watson.
“That’s definitely a school I’d be interested in if an offer was put on the table,” Watson stated.
Watson holds offers from Iowa, Iowa State and Kentucky early on in his recruitment.
“I never expected to get all of these offers,” he said. “It came as a shock. I’m excited to get these experiences.”
2022 Wideout Kaden Saunders Looks To Build Connection With Irish
Westerville (Ohio) South wide receiver Kaden Saunders is one of the best playmakers in the class of 2022, and schools such as Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Penn State have already extended offers to the 5-10, 155-pounder.
Saunders visited Notre Dame in the summer with one of his coaches, and he returned to South Bend for the USC game Oct. 12.
“The visit was good,” he said. “I loved the atmosphere. The stadium was the biggest highlight for me.”
During the visit, Saunders got to catch up with Notre Dame wide receivers coach Del Alexander.
“He just told me that I can run and that I’m a young guy so he can’t really talk to me, but he said to stay in touch.”
Saunders visited Michigan in September, and he plans to take visits to Cincinnati, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Ohio State and possibly Kentucky this fall.
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