SIGNED: WR Jafar Armstrong
Shawnee Mission (Kan.) Bishop Miege wide receiver Jafar Armstrong submitted his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Rivals ranks the 6-1, 185-pounder as a three-star prospect, the No. 3 player in Kansas and the No. 77 wide receiver in the land.
Measurables
• Per Armstrong, he runs a 4.46 40-yard dash.
• Bench pressed a max of 295 pounds and squatted a max of 395 pounds this past summer.
Statistics
• As a senior, caught 54 passes for 1,277 yards and 21 touchdowns.
• As a junior, reeled in 65 receptions for 1,262 yards and 15 touchdowns.
• Holds the state record for career touchdown receptions with 45.
• Also set the Bishop Miege record for career receiving yards with 3,744.
Honors
• Named 2016 Kansas Offensive Player of the Year by USA Today.
• Named All-USA Kansas by USA Today each of the past three years.
• Was also a three-time all-state selection from 2014-16.
• Selected as the winner of the 2016 Otis Taylor Award, which is given to the best wide receiver in the Kansas City metro area.
All-Star Games And Camps
• Took part in the Rivals Camp Series Kansas City event at Rockhurst High School on May 15, 2016.
Recruitment
• Committed to Notre Dame on Jan. 29, 2017, following an official visit to South Bend.
• Originally committed to Missouri in June 2016, but de-committed on Jan. 28, 2017, during his visit to Notre Dame. Also considered Minnesota, which he visited the week before Notre Dame.
• Received an offer from Notre Dame on Jan. 10, 2017.
• Primarily recruited by offensive coordinator Chip Long and wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander.
Notable
• Born Jan. 5, 1999.
• Plans to major in business administration or business marketing.
• Also participates in track, and won 4A state championships in 2016 in the 100 meters (10.83) and 200 meters (22.13). In addition, he ran on the state champion 4-by-100 relay squad to help Bishop Miege capture the state team title.
• Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Tim Grunhard (a starter on the 1988 national championship team) is the offensive line coach at Bishop Miege, where his son Colin Grunhard is a senior and has accepted a preferred walk-on spot at Notre Dame. Armstrong credits the elder Grunhard for helping him get his Irish offer.
2017 Projection
• Armstrong is physically capable of playing as a freshman, but Notre Dame returns good talent and depth at the receiver position.
BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: “Armstrong does not always play with great speed, but he’s a quality athlete who understands how to play the position. The Bishop Miege standout has excellent ball skills, and he knows how to work himself open against the zone.
“He put on good weight and added a lot of strength to his game as a senior, which helped him physically overpower opponents.
“Combined with his vision and quickness, that strength makes him an effective after-the-catch player. He will need to improve his technique as a route runner in order to maximize his speed, and once that happens his game will take a major step forward.”
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