Weekend Recruiting Preview: Notre Dame Vs. Ball State
Notre Dame opened up the season with a huge 24-17 win over Michigan, and there were a ton of top recruits on campus to witness the renewal of the rivalry.
This weekend will be a significantly less exciting matchup for the Irish with MAC team Ball State coming to town.
With a lesser game comes a lesser recruiting weekend, but the campus won't be completely devoid of visitors this weekend.
Here's a look at who will be in town this weekend and the skinny on their individual recruitments.
EXPECTED VISITORS
Like we mentioned, it will be a quiet weekend in terms of sheer volume, but there are still a few names to look out for.
The highest rated visitor scheduled to be in South Bend this weekend is Ian Stewart, a 2020 Rivals250 athlete from Gibraltar (Mich.) Carlson.
The 6-3, 185-pounder is ranked as the No. 218 player overall in the 2020 class and No. 20 athlete. His offer list includes the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, NC State, Boston College, Purdue, Kansas, Syracuse and Indiana, among others.
Stewart was in South Bend last year when the Irish took down NC State 35-14.
Other 2020 prospects will be in town this weekend as well.
Cambridge (Mass.) Buckingham Browne & Nichols offensive lineman Zak Zinter is set to be in South Bend traveling from the Northeast. The three-star prospect claims offers from the likes of Penn State, Boston College, Purdue and Duke, among others. He ranks as the No. 43 offensive tackle in the 2020 class.
Oak Lawn (Ill.) Richards running back Leshon Williams will make the trip.The 5-10, 205-pounder holds early offers from Cincinnati and Northern Illinois.
Two additional expected visitors are offensive lineman Gus Hartwig of Zionsville (Ind.) High and 2020 two-way lineman Shawn Lee of Downers Grove (Ill.) South.
Neither Hartwig or Lee holds any offers yet, so this weekend is likely just a first-look evaluation for both as they work to add to their list with their play during the fall.
Notre Dame will also get an early look at a talented 2021 prospect this weekend, one who already holds an SEC offer.
Deion Colzie, a 2021 wide receiver from Athens (Ga.) Athens Academy will be on campus. Tennessee is the lone major offer for the talented sophomore, which he picked up in May.
Notre Dame offered two 2021 prospects last week — defensive end Jack Sawyer and offensive lineman Garrett Dellinger — during visits, so maybe Colzie is next in line. Colzie was planning to make it to South Bend this summer for a camp, but was unable to do so.
BASKETBALL OFFICIAL VISITOR
Much of the recruiting buzz will be with Mike Brey and the men's basketball program this weekend as they are set to host five-star power forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy.
Formerly of Roeland Park (Kan.) Bishop Miege, Robinson-Earl has the Irish in his final five along with Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona and Villanova. Facing four of the premier programs in the country, Notre Dame will likely need to hit a home run this weekend to stay in the race as Robinson-Earl continues to take his officials this fall.
Credit has to go to Notre Dame's staff for building a strong relationship with the nation's No. 9 player to secure a visit and an opportunity to impress him in person.
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