Notre Dame Set To Kickoff Spring Recruiting Visits With A Huge Weekend

Notre Dame is expected to host some of the top targets on the 2023 board this weekend when the program kicks off its spring visits

Notre Dame players and coaches return from spring break this weekend in advance of the program kicking off its first spring under first-year head coach Marcus Freeman.

Notre Dame also has a HUGE recruiting opportunity over the next week, as the Irish will host a number of very talented players beginning on Thursday and going through the entire weekend. The list isn't big from a numbers standpoint, as right now we have just six confirmed players, but the list is incredibly impactful.

CARNELL TATE, WIDE RECEIVER

Tate, a native of Chicago and star at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, is expected to visit Notre Dame on Thursday for the first practice of the spring. The 6-2, 195-pound receiver is a five-star recruit and is ranked as the No. 13 (Rivals), No. 14 (247Sports) and No. 17 (On3) player in the country.

Tate has long been considered a lean to Ohio State, but Notre Dame has made up a lot of ground over the last month. Notre Dame needs to land a big-time quarterback in this class to really have a chance at getting Tate. The good news is Notre Dame is in great shape with five-star Dante Moore, and Moore is very tight with Tate.

But the quarterback won't ultimately be the reason Tate picks a school, it's just a key piece. That's what makes this weekend so huge for Notre Dame and Tate. This will be a chance for Tate to spend some time seeing Chansi Stuckey in action (assuming he makes it to the practice) and to continue furthering his bond with Stuckey and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

It's wise for Notre Dame to bring Tate in on a day when no one else from the 2023 class is expected to be on campus (as far as we know). In order to land Tate the Irish staff is going to need to roll out the red carpet and continue hammering home that he can be the start of a new tradition at Notre Dame instead of continuing something at Ohio State or Alabama or LSU.

It's easier to do that when the whole staff can spend time with him without any other prospects around.

Success with this visit likely won't determine Notre Dame's ultimate position with Tate, but it would certainly continue a positive trend for the Irish.

BRAYLON JAMES, WIDE RECEIVER

James will be making his first visit to Notre Dame on Friday (March 18), and it's a big one for the Fighting Irish staff and the Del Valle (Texas) High School standout pass catcher. James is a very talented player and Notre Dame is already in great position. He's ranked as the No. 67 player in the country by ESPN and No. 79 by Rivals, and James is far from a finished product.

The 6-3, 195-pound athlete has the kind of size/speed combination Notre Dame covets on the outside. He has legit five-star upside and with the right coaching he could develop into one of the best receivers in this entire class.

James is an outstanding student and academics are very, very important to him, which along with his relationship with Stuckey is a big reason why he's so high on Notre Dame. In fact, Notre Dame is considered the leader in his recruitment even without James having been on campus.

You can expect the Notre Dame staff to work hard to make James feel at home and feel the love this weekend. Wide receiver is a HUGE need in this class, both from a numbers (need) standpoint and from a talent upgrade standpoint. James also brings the kind of size it needs more of on the roster.

I don't see James ending things after the visit, as he has other visits set up for the remainder of the spring, but the goal for Notre Dame has to be putting itself so far in front with James that it makes it impossible for anyone to catch up. James is an absolute must-get in this class.

SAMUEL M'PEMBA, LINEBACKER/ATHLETE

M'Pemba is headed to Michigan for a visit on the 18th and he's expected at Notre Dame the next day.

It wasn't that long ago that Notre Dame was considered the leader for the five-star M'Pemba, who some of our sources felt was on the verge of committing to the Irish in the fall. Notre Dame's staff overhaul and M'Pemba's desire to slow things down a bit changed things up a bit, but Notre Dame remains one of the top programs for this elite athlete.

M'Pemba is a five-star recruit that is ranked No. 7 overall by Rivals and No. 15 overall on the 247Sports composite rankings. He is a legitimate top-level prospect at linebacker (where Notre Dame is recruiting him), defensive end and tight end. 

Notre Dame has hosted M'Pemba before, so this visit isn't as much about showing him the campus as it is convincing him why he's the perfect fit for what Notre Dame is trying to do. The staff needs to convince him why he fits in so well at Rover, but also how it plans to move him all around and put him in position to be a game-breaker all over the field.

It will be very interesting to hear how his conversations with Al Golden go this weekend. Coming from the NFL I would hope that Golden has some very interesting ideas on how to use M'Pemba in a variety of ways thanks to his elite athleticism and size.

I don't see M'Pemba committing anytime soon but I also don't think he's opposed to it and I don't think he wants to drag his recruitment on forever. M'Pemba's past comments lead me to believe he's just waiting to be 100% sure on where he wants to go. A knockout visit for Notre Dame is what the staff needs to make sure that when that decision comes the Irish are the pick.

JAIDEN AUSBERRY, LINEBACKER

Notre Dame is getting Ausberry back for his second visit to campus, and this is a huge one. The Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab star linebacker ranks as the nation's No. 38 player by ESPN and No. 39 by Rivals. Getting him out of the South will be very, very difficult but Ausberry is a strong student who values the academic side of things, which is part of the reason he is high on Notre Dame.

Ausberry is just 6-0 and listed between 195-205 pounds. He lacks the ideal length that Notre Dame covets but the staff still loves him because he's a very smart and extremely athletic football player. What he lacks in length he makes up for in every other area.

This visit will be an opportunity for Golden and Ausberry to connect. Notre Dame needs to blow him away if it is going to stay in the game with him.

MALIK ELZY, WIDE RECEIVER

Notre Dame likes Elzy quite a bit but this weekend will tell us a lot about where each stands with each other. At 6-3 and 195 pounds he also brings the size that Notre Dame wants and needs in this class from at least one pickup. Elzy, the No. 199 overall player in the country according to Rivals, 

I'm curious to see what Notre Dame has to say about Elzy this weekend. There is some question about where Elzy stands with Notre Dame and where Notre Dame stands with Elzy. It could result in the two sides growing apart or things getting really, really interesting in regard to a decision.

Notre Dame is also set to host defensive lineman Eddie Tuerk, a 2024 prospect from the Chicago area.

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