Notre Dame welcomes safety prospect Arrington Farrar to campus this weekend. The Irish coaching staff finishes up a chaotic cross-country week visiting prospects both committed and interested (and some somewhere in between).
Thousands of hours of work -- scouting, letter-writing, texting, Tweeting, Facebooking, calling, hosting and now visiting -- come down to next Wednesday. And the wins or losses will be determined by how many times the fax machine rings in the Gug, an annual ritual that has become the highlight of the offseason and the lifeblood of a football program (not to mention a multimillion dollar industry).
For now, things seem quiet and in order in the final days leading up to Signing Day. Credit a program-steadying victory over LSU in the Music City Bowl. But also a coaching staff that’s done a very good job staying on recruits that have long been committed, while also quickly pivoting to other prospects when options B, C and D need to arrive.
A class that many assumed would stay in the teens could swell to 25. And a group that will have a hard time finding the field in 2015 could be the backbone of another great run in the years to follow.
Next week will be completely committed to Notre Dame’s 2015 recruiting class. We’ll spend Monday and Tuesday getting to know the Irish’s four early-enrollees: Tevon Coney, Micah Dew-Treadway, Tristen Hoge and Jerry Tillery.
Wednesday morning will be fast and furious. As faxes roll in, posts will go up, officially introducing you to the Irish recruiting class. (Expect the coffee to be flowing throughout the dark morning hours at the Inside the Irish HQ.)
I’ll be joining the official Signing Day show over at UND.com to talk some shop. We’ll also be hosting a special Signing Day mailbag, so look for that to open up over the weekend.
With Notre Dame feeling very good about their positions with wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown and running back Dexter Williams, the Irish signing class looks to be at least 24 next Wednesday. It could swell to 25 if they’re able to reel in one more safety as well.
Get ready for a busy week ahead.
