With just one week until Signing Day, Notre Dame’s coaching staff is covering the country in pursuit of some final key pieces to their 2016 recruiting class. Last night, that brought Brian Kelly, Mike Denbrock and Mike Elston to Fresno, California, where the staff went in-home with 5-star recruit and high school Butkus Award winner Caleb Kelly.
While some quotes are already trickling in from Kelly, who spoke with Irish 247 after Notre Dame’s staff left the family house, Twitter provided some nice updates as well (including some recruiting from some Irish commits):
Best Apple Pie in the Valley!!
— Mike Elston (@CoachMikeElston) January 27, 2016
There's a Shamrock on it, so that must be a good sign!!#jointhef16ht pic.twitter.com/1GIksraKsl
#WeWantCalebInSouthBend @calebkkelly 🍀🍀 https://t.co/bpV3h17IeM
— DJ Morgan (@deundraymorgan) January 27, 2016
At this point, discussing the on-field piece of the puzzle is finished. Kelly profiles as an outside linebacker in Notre Dame’s system, with the possibility to grow and put a hand on the ground and rush the passer as his career continues. With a linebacking corps that needs rebuilding after 2015, Kelly has an opportunity to step in and play a variety of spots—something Blue & Gold’s Bryan Driskell broke down earlier this week.
5-star LB Caleb Kelly would be a perfect fit in #NotreDame's defense .. Free Story: https://t.co/2uZAOtPwIw pic.twitter.com/i6JywZprrS
— BlueandGold.com (@BGInews) January 26, 2016
With the football out of the way, Kelly and his mom hosted Notre Dame’s staff, the final in-home visit from the Irish coaching staff before Kelly announces his intentions at 5:30 p.m. local time next Wednesday.
“It was fun,” Kelly told Tom Loy of Irish 247. “It was great hanging out with everyone, just relaxing, talking about everything. It was pretty casual and just laid back.”
Once again, it looks like Notre Dame will be battling Oklahoma for Kelly’s commitment, with Bob Stoops and company already well established in California’s Central Valley. But the Irish staff feels good about their chances with one of the top players in the country, and this recruitment will likely last until a fax rolls into a football office Wednesday evening.