Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been successful during the 2014 recruiting cycle, acquiring commitments from 16 prospects, including 11 four-star players, per the 247Sports composite rankings. The Irish's current class ranks 10th nationally and is first among independent teams.
Notre Dame football recruiting: Irish looking to close in California
Notre Dame doesn’t have the biggest class right now, but it’s pretty loaded.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The recruiting trail has been fairly quiet lately for Notre Dame; the Irish haven't picked up a new commit since four-star defensive tackle Matt Dickerson committed on Aug. 3.
Offensive tackle Quenton Nelson, who stands 6'5 and weighs in at 295 pounds, is probably the top player in Notre Dame's Class of 2014. The Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic product rates out at 62nd overall in the 247 composite rankings, and he's listed as the sixth-best player at his position and No. 2 player from his home state. Another quality OL prospect is tackle Alex Barr, who currently plays at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tenn. Barr is 6'6, 287 pounds, and is listed as the No. 92 player in the country, No. 10 offensive tackle and No. 4 player from his home state.
Wide receiver Justin Bryant of Indianapolis (Ind.) Speedway High is a solid threat on the outside. Bryant has good size at 6’3, 190 pounds, and he’s tabbed as the 87th-best player in the nation, 11th-best receiver and top prospect in Indiana.
On the other side of the ball, strongside defensive end Andrew Trumbetti leads the way. From Northern Valley Regional Demarest in Demarest, N.J., he checks in at 6’5 and 250 pounds, and he’s ranked No. 157 overall, No. 10 at his position and No. 4 in the state of New Jersey.
Still to come -- Bud Elliott, National Recruiting Analyst
The Irish already have a strong class, but will be looking to add to the haul with some stars from California.
One of the top targets is John “JuJu” Smith, a five-star safety out of Long Beach (Calif.) Poly. Oregon, UCLA and USC are also in the mix.
The Irish also have top targets on the other side of the football.
Tyler Luatua, a top tight end out of La Mirada (Calif.) is a four-star who is also considering Alabama. The Irish are in good position for the California star.
The same goes for receiver Michiah Quick, a four-star out of Fresno (Calif.) Central East. Oklahoma and UCLA are the main competition for Quick.
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