Davie's Irish work on recruiting during weekend visit
By ANDREW SOUKUP
Sports Writer
A year ago, Lorenzo Crawford was just a high school senior who had already verbally committed to playing football for the University of North Carolina.
He visited Notre Dame Dec. 3, 1999 for the annual football awards banquet just to make sure he made the right decision.
Turns out he didn't.
"The players were what made the visit special," Crawford said. "They were great to hang out with, and I got along great with all of them."
Crawford was so impressed by all that Notre Dame had to offer that six weeks later, he changed his decision and committed to playing football for the Irish.
"I had to think about life after football, and that life is best at Notre Dame," Crawford told recruiting expert Jeremy Crabtree in an interview after he reversed his decision.
Last weekend at the awards banquet, Crawford was among several players making the high school recruits feel more comfortable. He saw 18 high school seniors, sitting together with their parents, taking in the awards banquet.
Some of these players already had decided to be members of Notre Dame's Class of 2005. Others are still being swarmed with scholarship offers from football programs across the nation. But all of them were at least interested in playing football for the Irish.
In an interview earlier this season, head football coach Bob Davie mentioned some of the objectives the Irish recruiting staff is focusing on. He talked about the need for a few linebackers, a defensive lineman, two coverage cornerbacks, and some offensive linemen.
Based on who has already verbally committed to the University and the prospects the Irish are currently recruiting heavily, Davie is well on his way to fulfilling his wish list. Eight players have already verbally committed to attending the university. Of those eight, four are potential offensive linemen.
The top recruit the Irish have snagged so far is offensive lineman Mark LeVoir, a 6-7 305 pounder from Eden Prairie, Minn. who committed to Notre Dame way back in May.
"Notre Dame is the place I always wanted to go," said LeVoir, who played tight end in high school but will most likely switch to the offensive line for the Irish. "You can't beat the academics and athletics there. It's just the perfect situation for me."
Tom Lemming, a recruiting expert for ESPN.com, lists LeVoir as of the top five high school linemen in the nation.
Joining him in the class of 2005 is Zachary Giles, who played on the offensive and defensive line in high school.
"They have the kind of appeal that attracts everybody, not just football fans," he said. Mike Frank, a recruiting expert for Rivals.com, considers Giles, from Marshfield, Mass., and LeVoir among the top 15 offensive line recruits.
Aldo De La Garza, from New Braunfels, Tex. has also has decided to play football for Notre Dame.
"It's been a dream of mine since the eighth grade to go to Notre Dame," De La Garza said. "I went to the summer camp and must have done real well because they offered me on the spot. I said yes right away."
The newest Irish recruit to verbally commit to the University is Darrin Mitchell. "I liked the surroundings up there," he said about his visit this weekend. "I won't visit anyplace else."
Mitchell, from Lovejoy, Geor., made his decision after the awards banquet and said that he expected to play guard for the Irish.
Tight end Matt Root, from Tallahassee, Fla., felt something special about Notre Dame when he decided to commit to the Irish. "I loved everything about it — Touchdown Jesus, the players, the campus, the coaches, everything," he said. "And I think I can get early playing time."
Matt Shelton could potentially fill one the wide receiver slots vacated the current generation of Irish flanker graduate. Shelton, who runs a blazing 4.21 40-yard dash, decided to commit to Notre Dame after the friendly way the coaching staff treated him.
"Notre Dame looked like the best choice for me," the Collierville, Tenn. native said. "They already treat me like I'm part of their family."
Jeff Thompson, from Granger, Ind. is expected to contribute on the defensive side of the ball.
"One of his dreams as long as I can remember has been to go to Notre Dame," Dan Thompson, Jeff's father, said.
Rivals.com rates Thompson the No. 18 prospect at defensive end.
The already talented Irish linebacker corps will receive a boost from Sayreville, NJ native Brandon Hoyte.
"They're playing great, and I'm really impressed," Hoyte told Rivals.com after he visited the campus to watch Notre Dame play Boston College back in November. "I like what I see."
Although Notre Dame has landed several top recruits, their work is far from done. Davie and his staff are still chasing several high-profile seniors.
At the top of nearly every college football coach's list of prospects is running back Kelly Baraka from Portage, Mich. Baraka, who runs a 4.4 40-yard dash and won the state title in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, is also considering attending the University of Michigan.
But Baraka has a special connection to Notre Dame — he received a letter from former Irish head coach Lou Holtz when he was eight years old. The young Baraka, a longtime Irish fan, wrote Holtz to ask him for advice. Holtz wrote him back an inspirational letter telling Baraka to do his best in the classroom as well as on the football field.
"I have that letter framed in my bedroom," Baraka said.
After visiting the campus this weekend, Baraka, who recruiting experts predict to make a Tony Driver-like conversion to defensive back, said, "I got to meet with a lot of the coaches and felt comfortable because they weren't rushing a decision from me."
Baraka plans to make a decision by Christmas.
Linebacker Corey Mays said Notre Dame was at the top of his list after his weekend on campus.
"Notre Dame is my leader," said Mays, who hails from Chicago, Ill. "I had fun hanging out with the guys. I like the coaches too. I just had a lot of fun." Mays plans to visit Michigan State, Purdue, Georgia Tech, and Miami within the next month before making a decision.
Other top prospects the Irish are recruiting heavily include wide receiver Reggie Williams, offensive lineman Blake Larsen, defensive end Shaun Cody, all who are listed on Lemming's 2001 "Super Team."
It won't be easy for the Irish recruiting staff to secure these high-profile players. But between now and Feb. 7, the first day high school seniors can sign binding letters of intent, Davie and his staff will work feverishly to get the most talented football prospects in the nation to commit to spending the next four years of their life playing football for the Irish.
All Sports Stories for Thursday, December 7, 2000
