Let the Irish Invasion Begin

Apr 18, 2015; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly talks to his players after the Blue-Gold Game at the LaBar Practice Complex. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

On Friday, June 19th an Irish Invasion will begin. The Notre Dame football program will host its biggest recruiting event of the summer. Over 80 recruits from across the United States will congregate in South Bend, Indiana for the event. According to Wells and Ivins, among the throng of candidates are six of the Fighting Irish’s most highly sought after recruits:

"The Headliners Notre Dame sent out invitations to dozens of prospects at every position on the board, and the staff was able to lure some elite talent to campus. The Irish are expected to host at least nine Rivals100 prospects, and upwards of 75 recruits that claim FBS offers. Here are the can’t-miss names that will be in town. LB Caleb Kelly, Fresno (Calif.) Clovis West — Kelly wasn’t sure if he was going to make the trip across the country two weeks ago, but a flight was booked, and the five-star linebacker will be on campus to see Notre Dame for the first time. He’s not expected to workout — but — that’s not the focus of the trip. Notre Dame is trying to move up Kelly’s list of schools just a few weeks after Michigan held a satellite camp in Fresno just for Kelly. Oklahoma is also in the mix. Rivals Ranking: No. 5 outside linebacker, No. 19 prospect in the country and No. 2 player in California. WR Javon McKinley, Corona (Calif.) Centennial — McKinley will be in South Bend for the second time in the past three months. He previously said that he “loved” everything about Notre Dame and that the Irish were one of his top schools. By all indications, that’s still the case, but wide receiver is a need this cycle and the four-star prospect is one of the top names on the board. He’s also considering USC and Oregon. Rivals Ranking: No. 18 wide receiver, No. 99 prospect in the country and the No. 17 player in California. QB Hunter Johnson, Brownsburg (Ind.) High — Johnson is one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2017, and this will mark his third trip to campus since February. The Irish and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford have told the four-star quarterback that he’s the top arm on the board for the next recruiting cycle, and the attention reflects that. Sanford saw Johnson twice during the spring evaluation period and has remained in constant contact. Rivals Rankings: Named to the initial Rivals100 for the class of 2017. S Spencer Perry, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy — Perry, who is committed to Florida, grew up down the road from Auburn, but despite the deep ties to the SEC, he wants to give the Irish a look. Notre Dame coaches saw the three-star safety twice during the spring evaluation period and have told him, that he can make an impact right away on defense. Rivals Rankings: No. 39 safety in the country. ATH Chase Claypool, Abbotsford (B.C.) High — Claypool is listed as a wide receiver, but he can play multiple positions on the field, and the Irish like him on defense at safety. The Canadian three-star prospect named a top three last week of Michigan, Washington and Oregon, but admitted that the Irish weren’t on his list, simply because he had yet to visit campus. He’ll get the red carpet experience on Friday. Rivals Rankings: No. 96 wide receiver in the world. DE Tomon Fox, Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill — Fox might not have the most stars next to his name, but he’s a priority simply because of the need at defensive end this cycle. The three-star prospect has seen a number of different schools the past few weeks including North Carolina and N.C. State but this will mark the first trip to South Bend. Rivals Rankings: No. 22 defensive end and No. 42 prospect in Georgia."