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Visitors Preview: Notre Dame Junior Day - Offense

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2019 wide receiver TJ Sheffield is one of several talented pass catchers expected on Notre Dame's campus this weekend.
2019 wide receiver TJ Sheffield is one of several talented pass catchers expected on Notre Dame's campus this weekend. (Rivals)
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On Saturday, Notre Dame will host its first Junior Day of the 2019 class, and several top Irish targets will make their way to South Bend for the event.

Last year, Notre Dame held a Junior Day on Feb. 11, and landed commitments from four-star receiver Micah Jones, four-star receiver Braden Lenzy, four-star cornerback Kalon Gervin and three-star offensive tackle Cole Mabry.

If Notre Dame can see the same success out of this year's Junior Day, the 2019 class could get off to a big start for the Irish.

Here's a rundown of the prospects expected to be in town this weekend, beginning with the offensive recruits on campus.

Top Offers: Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, Purdue

The Skinny: Notre Dame will host one of the top players in Indiana’s 2019 class this weekend. James ranks as the No. 137 player nationally, No. 7 running back and No. 2 player in the Hoosier State.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder doesn’t hold an offer from Notre Dame, but the Irish could enter the mix this weekend joining the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota, among others.

James attended the program’s Irish Invasion camp over the summer.

Driskell’s Take: James was the best running back in Indiana this past season, and he’s only getting better. At 6-1 and 205 pounds, James has impressive size and he uses it well. He is a physical runner with good pad level that can run through arm tackles and dip-and-rip on the second and third levels.

The Avon standout is a good athlete for his size. He’s not an overly elusive runner, with a change of direction style that is similar to former Notre Dame standout Josh Adams, but he has quick feet and good balance most of the time. James gets downhill well, attacking the line with a good combination of patience and violence. His long speed is impressive, which helped him rip off long runs against even the best teams on his 2017 schedule.

James shows good vision as a runner when he has to, but on his highlights it is hard to tell if he has it consistently, since often he is running through vertical holes. When asked to make reads behind the line he shows quick decision making ability, good anticipation skills and sudden cutting ability.

JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS

Top Offers: Arizona State, Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech, UCLA, Virginia Tech

The Skinny: Brown was committed to UCLA at the time of his Notre Dame offer, but backed off that pledge on Tuesday. The former Bruins commit has shown significant interest in the Irish since being offered on Jan. 11, and is looking forward to getting a closer look at South Bend this weekend.

During the visit, Brown said he wants to work on bonding with the coaching staff, especially wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander.

To read more from Brown previewing the visit, click HERE.

Driskell’s Take: Brown isn’t the biggest receiver, but he’s extremely productive and has a lot of ability. Checking in at just 6-0 and 160 pounds, Brown will have to add weight and strength, but he’s a tough kid for his size. He competes for the ball like a bigger player, showing excellent concentration in traffic and fast hands.

The Heritage standout has good speed off the ball, but his downfield acceleration is really impressive. He’s a quality athlete with good feet, loose hips and good balance. Brown is a well-schooled player that is an advanced route runner for his age. His ability to use his release and body to manipulate defenders on vertical releases is really nuanced.

Brown has elite route running potential, which makes him a vertical threat, but he’s also effective with the ball in his hands. That combination of skills is perfect for an offense like Notre Dame's, which asks its receivers to be good traditional route runners, but also needs them to be effective in the screen and quick game.

JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS

Top Offers: Cal, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

The Skinny: Ngata doesn't say much when it comes to recruiting, but he did tell BGI this week that his interest in Notre Dame is legitimate. Ngata said he has been eager to take a visit to a non West Coast school, and Notre Dame seemed like the best place to do that.

So far, Ngata's main communication with Notre Dame has been with wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander, and the four-star said he's looking forward to meeting Alexander and the rest of the coaching staff. USC, UCLA, Clemson and Washington are schools Ngata mentioned along with Notre Dame that are standing out to him currently. This will be his first time in South Bend, so the Irish coaching staff has a chance to lay some nice groundwork.

Driskell’s Take: Ngata is an imposing pass catcher that showed elite production while leading Folsom to a 16-0 record and a state title. He caught 81 passes for 1,777 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior, but he took his game to another level in the playoffs, hauling in 37 passes for 773 yards and 13 scores.

The 6-3, 195-pound wideout is extremely physical. He’s long, he has a thick frame and his natural strength is outstanding. Ngata bullies defensive backs in the run game and as a pass catcher. The only thing more impressive than his strength are his ball skills, which are truly elite. Nagata has strong hands, he’s supremely confident and he competes like crazy for the football. The ability to use his body and length to outmaneuver defenders for the ball is truly special.

Ngata is a long strider that needs some time to get going, but his second gear is impressive. Moving forward he’ll have to work on his agility and flexibility, but neither are limiting factors due to his size, strength and ball skills. If he can improve his speed and quickness he should skyrocket up the rankings over the next year.

JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS

Top Offers: Georgia Tech, Penn State, Purdue, Stanford, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech

The Skinny: Sheffield is a recent addition to the Irish target board landing an offer earlier this month. The three-star wide receiver told BGI he considered it a "big one."

For Sheffield, learning more about the Notre Dame offense and how he fits into it will be a big aspect of this weekend's visit. Sheffield pointed to the program's tradition and history as an area that sticks out. It is too early in Sheffield's process for favorites, but Notre Dame has a chance to cement itself as a top contender this weekend.

To read more about Sheffield, click HERE.

Driskell’s Take: The biggest drawback for Sheffield is his size. At just 5-10 and 165 pounds, Sheffield lacks the length desired at wide receiver, but he makes up for it in a lot of ways. First and foremost, despite being just 165 pounds, Sheffield is a tough player that is physical with the ball in his hands, can break tackles and will take a hit in traffic.

Sheffield isn’t a burner, but he gets to full speed in a hurry. The Independence standout shows outstanding foot quickness and change of direction skills. Those traits and his toughness make him dangerous with the ball in his hands. He’s elusive and hard to get a clean shot on.

Sheffield is a good route runner when working against zone defenses. He has a knack for getting open and will compete for the ball. He will need to continue refining his route running against man defenders. For example, Sheffield doesn’t properly use his release to gain leverage advantages against man defenders. Sheffield has the quickness and feel for the game to get good at it, but he has to learn the nuances of route running in these areas. It will come, and when it does he’ll be even harder to defend.

JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS

Top Offers: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Clemson, Georgia, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, USC, Washington State, Wisconsin

The Skinny: Smith picked up an offer from Notre Dame on Dec. 23, and will make his first visit to South Bend a little over a month later. The four-star has expressed interest in Notre Dame, and his high school coach told BGI that he would definitely fit in South Bend.

Smith is a standout prospect on and off the field, so the combined prestige of Notre Dame's football program and athletic background should be intriguing to him.

Driskell’s Take: Smith is one of the most dynamic athletes on the board for Notre Dame. He is a wide receiver, but his athleticism and body type could lead to him playing running back or defensive back at the next level. Smith has outstanding speed; he gets to top speed quickly and his acceleration is top notch. He is a legit home run threat on vertical throws and after the catch.

Smith is more than just fast; he combines smooth athleticism and suddenness, which is rare. These traits make him quite dangerous after the catch, and make him a dangerous return man. Smith shows outstanding vision with the ball in his hands, which is why running back was mentioned. Those traits also make him dangerous in the screen game and with the jet sweeps that Notre Dame likes to use.

The reason Smith projects best at wide receiver is because of how well he catches the football. Smith tracks the deep ball well and shows extremely confident hands. The Arizona native has excellent body control and shows the ability to compete for the ball, and he makes tough catches look easy. His route running is solid at this point, and in time it could become a major strength of his game.

JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS

Top Offers: Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Stanford, Wisconsin

The Skinny: Williams was offered by Notre Dame on Tuesday, and immediately set up visit for this weekend. The Missouri talent has been to South Bend twice before, and "at a loss for words" when the offer came.

Williams said he hadn't had much contact with the Notre Dame coaching staff prior to the offer, but discussions have picked up this week, and Williams is looking forward to meeting with the coaching staff during his visit this weekend.

To read more from Williams on the visit, click HERE.

Driskell’s Take: Williams is an interesting player. He’s incredibly short and his body is built more like a running back. When he lines up in the backfield he looks and runs like a running back as well, but he’s being recruited as a wide receiver. Williams even plays some defensive back, and he’s a really good player there too. In many ways he reminds me of Notre Dame cornerback Shaun Crawford, who was a dynamic two-way player in high school.

Despite his lack of height, Williams is a strong player with a thick lower half, which allows him to play with a lot of power for his size. Williams can run through arm tackles, can lower his shoulder and deliver punishment, and as a defensive back he shows impressive range and hitting ability. When he has the ball in his hands Williams shows outstanding vision and cutting ability.

If it were up to me, I’d recruit Williams as more of an all-purpose player than I would a pure wide receiver. He’d be someone I’d play at running back and receiver, and running back might actually be his best position in a spread offense. He does most of his work at or near the line, so his downfield ball skills remain a bit of a mystery.

JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS

Top Offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin

The Skinny: Notre Dame offered the nation's No. 1 tight end in the 2019 class last month and gets the chance to impress the talented playmaker this weekend.

Henry, the younger brother of Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry, is intrigued by Notre Dame's use of the tight end in Chip Long's offense. Long extended the offer to Henry and the two have built a solid relationship in a short timeframe.

To read more about Henry and his Irish interest, click HERE.

Driskell's Take: Driskell’s Take: It’s easy to see why Rivals ranks Henry as a Top 100 recruit and as the top tight end in the country. Outside of elite speed, Henry has all the tools you want in a dominant pass catching tight end. He has good size and length, he’s a smooth athlete, he has very good ball skills and he knows how to work himself open.

Henry is a natural pass catcher with an excellent feel for running routes, finding soft spots in the zone and going after the football. He catches the ball like a wide receiver, and he knows how to use his size as a weapon in the pass game. Henry snatches the ball out of the air with ease and shows good focus when working in traffic.

While not an elite athlete, Henry’s overall athletic skill set plays very well. Henry is fluid, shows good body control and is a tough kid. Henry isn’t a dominant in-line blocker right now, but there is some potential there. Henry will compete in the run game and he’s a force on the perimeter when matched up against safeties and outside linebackers.

JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS

Top Offers: Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Washington

The Skinny: Wolfe has Notre Dame high on his list, and said the Irish are hovering right near the top along with USC, UCLA and Washington. A top target at the position for Notre Dame in 2019, Wolfe said his relationship with special teams coach Brian Polian is a big part of his interest in the Irish.

According to Wolfe, he wanted to take the visit this weekend because he's hoping to shut down his recruitment and make a commitment sometime this summer, and wanted to make sure he saw Notre Dame before making that decision.

To read more from Wolfe previewing the visit, click HERE.

Driskell’s Take: Wolfe is a bit of a throwback tight end. At 6-6 and 247 pounds, he has outstanding size for the position, ad he’s an impactful blocker. Wolfe does damage as an inline blocker, using his size and power to drive defenders off the ball. The St. John Bosco standout plays with good leverage, keeps a good base and drives through contact. Wolfe also shows a good feel for blocking in space and working from the frontside to the backside when detached from the line.

His power carries over into the pass game, where Wolfe presents matchup problems in the short zones and after the catch. Once he gets more weight room strength in a college program his blocking game will take off.

Wolfe is a smooth and fluid athlete but isn’t overly explosive. He lacks speed, but he moves with ease and uses his size to make plays in the pass game. Wolfe is a good route runner that can work open against the zone. His length gives him a wide catch radius and his athletic skills make it even wider. Wolfe has good ball skills and catches the ball away from his body.

JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS

ADDITIONAL VISITORS

Notre Dame will also welcome a few other visitors this weekend including three 2019 prospects looking for an offer and a 2020 prospect with an offer already.

2020

Alexandria (Ky.) Covington Catholic tight end Michael Mayer added his Irish offer in late December and will make his second trip to South Bend. Mayer was in South Bend for the Miami (Ohio) game last September. The sophomore also holds early offers from Kentucky, Minnesota and Cincinnati, among others.

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