SIGNED: WR Kevin Austin

Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep wide receiver Kevin Austin has submitted his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame.

Rivals: 4-star (No. 20 prospect in Florida, and No. 14 wide receiver and No. 81 overall player nationally)
BGI Grade: 4.0-star
Upside Grade: 5.0-star

Austin is the third Rivals100 wide receiver to sign with Notre Dame since Brian Kelly arrived, joining 2016 signee Javon McKinley and 2014 signee Justin Brent.

Recorded a 4.71-40-yard dash, a 4.4-second pro shuttle and a 37-inch vertical jump at Nike Football’s The Opening Regional Miami on Feb. 26, 2017. That performance earned him in invite to the Opening Finals in Beaverton, Ore.

SENIOR SEASON: Caught 35 passes for 761 yards (21.7 per catch) and 11 touchdowns, and 38 rushing attempts for 390 yards (10.3 per carry) and two touchdowns.

JUNIOR SEASON: Hauled in 41 receptions for 1,021 yards (24.9 per catch) and 13 touchdowns, and 46 rushing attempts for 454 yards (9.9 per carry) and 12 touchdowns.

SENIOR SEASON (2017)

The Sun Sentinel’s All-Broward County First Team Offense
Nike Football The Opening Finalist
Rivals Five-Star Challenge Invitee
Offense-Defense All-American

JUNIOR SEASON (2016)

The Miami Herald’s All-Broward County First Team Offense

POWER FIVE OFFERS: Auburn, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, NC State, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue Rutgers, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Austin committed to Notre Dame on Aug. 11, 2017, over a final group that included Duke, Miami and Tennessee.

The four-star picked up an offer from the Irish on Aug. 29, 2016, and took an unofficial visit for the Blue-Gold Game on April 22, 2017.

Austin was primarily recruited by running backs coach Autry Denson and took an official visit to Notre Dame for the USC game Oct. 21, the only official visit he took.

• Born March 30, 2000
• Set the Broward county record for receiving yards in a game with a Sept. 29 performance that included seven catches for 329 yards and five touchdowns
• Played for the same Little League team in Broward County as Notre Dame running backs coach Autry Denson

Austin is a long and dynamic playmaker that will have an opportunity to push the returning receivers for playing time. Outside of Kevin Stepherson, Notre Dame’s wideouts were inconsistent, didn’t do much after the catch and didn’t compete well for the football. Those are all traits that make Austin one of the nation’s top pass catchers. If he can pick up the playbook, he should be able to push for early playing time.

“I usually try to avoid making comparisons of high school players to past players that have already succeeded at either the collegiate or professional level. But when I watch Austin play it is almost impossible not to get flashbacks of former Notre Dame star Michael Floyd, who finished his career as Notre Dame’s all-time leader in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.

“Like Floyd, Austin will enroll at Notre Dame a bit on the thin side, but he’s a powerful player that is going to add a lot of size and strength at the next level. He plays with a lot of power at the line, as a pass catcher and with the ball in his hands. He lacks elite speed at the snap, but he makes up for it with other traits. He has excellent balance, he’s an explosive athlete and he uses those traits to make a lot of plays after the catch.

“Austin improved his ball skills as a senior, which is impressive considering he received a high grade for that trait as a junior. He will need a lot of work as a route runner, but his ability to track the ball is quite impressive, and he competes hard for the football when its in the air. If he can develop the necessary technique needed to play the position he could develop into a tremendous pass catcher in a Notre Dame uniform.” — BGI Football Analyst Bryan Driskell