It's no secret Notre Dame has had some success recruiting the state of Ohio for a long time now, especially Cincinnati's Greater Catholic League. Ohio State has often been faced with the difficult task of fending off the nation's most famous Catholic institution in an area whose top talent is typically found at its Catholic high schools.
Brian Kelly—who is in his sixth year at Notre Dame—talked about recruiting the Buckeye State in his Sunday teleconference.
You have to deal with Ohio State, and so it's inevitable that we're going to run into Ohio State in those areas. But we think that we have some distinctions that carry some strength in those areas.
The Meyer-Kelly recruiting battles have spanned well beyond just the state of Ohio. A number of highly-touted prospects from throughout the region and across the nation have had serious interest in the two Midwestern powerhouses; that's no surprise really considering the prestige of each program.
Looking through both teams' rosters, there are several familiar names who had both the Buckeyes and the Irish in their top group of college destinations. Today we look at a few of the more noteworthy recruitments.
EZEKIEL ELLIOTT • 2013 • SAINT LOUIS, MO • COMPOSITE RANKING: No. 70
While Ezekiel Elliott's recruitment may have come down to the Buckeyes and in-state Tigers, there's no doubt that the Fighting Irish were a serious contender for some time. Elliott took multiple trips to South Bend in the spring of 2012, catapulting Notre Dame to the top of his list. Interestingly, the Irish were one of the few schools recruiting the four-star as a defensive back and not strictly as a tailback.
After visiting Columbus for a junior day event, the Elliott family made a return trip in late March. The second visit to Ohio State was enough to seal the deal as Elliott pledged to the Buckeyes on April 1st, 2012.
"They not only use their running backs to run but as receivers," he explained. "I believe that one of my strengths is that I can line up as a receiver." ($)
Elliott's pass-catching and run-blocking skills have been well documented as he is projected to be one of the top running backs taken in the 2016 NFL Draft.
JAYLON SMITH • 2013 • FORT WAYNE, IN • COMPOSITE RANKING: No. 2
The 2015 Butkus Award winner was long thought to be on a path that would lead him to Columbus, alongside older brother and former Buckeye running back Rod Smith. After Rod inked with the Buckeyes in 2011, the nation's top-ranked linebacker took multiple unofficial visits to Ohio State. Brian Kelly and the Irish eventually took over the younger Smith's recruitment, ultimately securing his commitment in June of 2012.
"He's a rare, rare defensive player. It's just fun watching him play."– Via
Smith has started every game since his arrival in South Bend and led the team with 113 tackles in 2015. He was one of five Irish underclassmen to request feedback from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. The speculation right now is that the junior will forego his final season at Notre Dame.
Smith was announced as the Butkus Award winner on Tuesday, beating out Raekwon McMillan, Alabama's Reggie Ragland and others. Smith is now the second player to win both the high school and college versions of the award.
SAM HUBBARD • 2014 • CINCINNATI, OH • COMPOSITE RANKING: No. 181
Cincinnati's Sam Hubbard was a Notre Dame commit at one point, just not for the sport he's now most known for. Hubbard pledged to the Irish lacrosse team before ultimately deciding to pursue football at the next level. The Moeller standout has always had the size to excel at a number of different positions, but has found a home at defensive end, filling in nicely for Joey Bosa against Virginia Tech and compiling 5.5 sacks on the season (compared to Bosa's 5.0 and was named a Freshman All-American for the Buckeyes in 2015.)
Urban Meyer had made it clear that he and his staff were going to try to lock down the Cincinnati area, so stealing Hubbard from the Irish was a major coup. The Wolverines and Spartans also had extended offers.
SHAUN CRAWFORD • 2015 • LAKEWOOD, OH • COMPOSITE RANKING: No. 113
The top cornerback in the state of Ohio committed to the Wolverines in August of 2013. After that, things quieted down between the Buckeyes and the four-star from Lakewood St. Edward.
No longer a commit to Michigan Football.
— SC (@1ShaunCrawford) May 24, 2014
The Irish offered Crawford in February of 2014 and and rumors began to swirl that he was wanting to check out some other schools, which would be in violation of Brady Hoke's no-visit policy. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder opened his recruitment back up in late May and was scheduled to make trips to both Columbus and South Bend. The Ohio State visit ultimately was canceled and Crawford pledged to Notre Dame a few weeks later.
BRANDON WIMBUSH • 2015 • JERSEY CITY, NJ • COMPOSITE RANKING: No. 45
Quarterback recruiting for the 2015 class was a bit of a whirlwind for the Buckeyes as it seemed to shift back and forth between a number of top prospects. Jersey City's Brandon Wimbush was unquestionably a player that the Ohio State staff really wanted, and they appeared to be in great position for a stretch of his recruitment. The nation's third-ranked dual-threat quarterback made a number of appearances in Columbus before committing to Penn State in May of 2014.
Wimbush then spent the summer flirting with a few other schools—most notably Stanford—before re-solidifying his status as a Penn State commit. Communication with Notre Dame picked up and an October official visit led to Wimbush ultimately flipping to the Irish. He has served as DeShone Kizer's backup for the bulk of the 2015 season.
JUSTIN HILLIARD • 2015 • CINCINNATI, OH • COMPOSITE RANKING: No. 34
Five-star linebacker Justin Hilliard had a very meticulous recruitment. He and his family checked out their top schools—Ohio State, Notre Dame, Iowa and Michigan—a number of different times before ultimately coming to a decision.
Long thought to be a Notre Dame lean, Hilliard cited his relationships with Urban Meyer, Luke Fickell, and several current Buckeyes as the deciding factors in his decision. The St. Xavier star had also considered reuniting with his older brother C.J., who had played for the Hawkeyes before transferring to Ohio University.
Hilliard, along with close friend Jashon Cornell, committed to Ohio State on July 2nd of 2014. The duo went on to become two of the more active recruiters in the 2015 class.
The Buckeyes and Irish have already been butting heads for the 2016 and 2017 classes. On Sunday we will look ahead to see what can be expected as we inch closer to signing day and preview 2017.
