There might not be a bigger weekend on the recruiting calendar than next week’s primetime showdown with USC. While the numbers are still being confirmed, the Irish will host a slew of blue-chip talent, with many of the country’s top players coming to town to see the Irish and the Trojans battle it out under the lights.
We’ll spend the proper amount of time getting you up to speed on who’s visiting for Southern Cal, but one of the Irish’s top recruiting targets, Tampa’s Nelson Agholor, had the stage to himself this past weekend, and it sounds like the Irish definitely helped their case.
Agholor caught up with Rivals.com’s Chris Nee to fill him in on the weekend visit, a trip that put the Irish in a great position to bring in one of the country’s most heralded recruits.
“I loved it,” Agholor told Rivals. “That is an area right there where I feel football is number one. The fans, the people there, they back that program up 100% whether they win or they lose. They, right now I think they have a 3-2 record, but you would think they were undefeated with how all of the tickets are selling out. The history of the program is amazing. It has a legacy, people passing tickets down to their grandchildren, they keep the tradition going.”
Agholor has played the recruiting game relatively close to the vest, unwilling to list a top five or a short list to help build the drama of his recruitment. But the Irish seem to be in great shape with the high schooler who just so happens to wears No. 3 on his jersey. It wasn’t hard for Agholor -- or the coaching staff -- to talk about replacing another No. 3 that will be gone after the season.
“What they relayed to me is the opportunity to play wide receiver and play it big and early,” Agholor said. “With Michael Floyd leaving, I feel like there is a void that will need to be filled in that offense. They need a big, big-time receiver and that is something I definitely think I could work towards.”
Agholor had the weekend off from his Berkeley Prep season, and used it to take his first visit to South Bend. With no other official visits scheduled, it was clear that getting to Notre Dame was a priority for the nation’s No. 1 ranked athlete. That alone was great news for the Irish.