Recruiting Notebook: More Details From Notre Dame’s ‘Grill Chill’ Event

On July 27, Notre Dame held a recruiting event that attracted a handful of top underclassmen prospects from across the country. A few players went through a small camp, but the event was mainly for “grilling and chilling” as the Irish dubbed it.

One of the notable news items to come from the event was a new scholarship offer in the 2023 class. Arthur (Ill.) Arthur-Lovington athlete Kaden Feagin added the Irish to his offer list, and they joined Illinois, Rutgers and Iowa on his scholarship sheet. Missouri, Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan have joined his list since.

Feagin is listed at 6-3, 220 pounds going into his junior season, and Notre Dame offered him as a running back. That combination of size and position is something you don’t see often.

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“Coach [Lance] Taylor took me to Coach [Brian] Kelly’s office and was telling me how I fit into the program very well and told me he wanted to offer me,” recalled Feagin. “I was just really surprised and excited. Notre Dame was always a dream school for me and to get offered by them was really surprising.

“Always seeing them in the top of the rankings and them believing in me enough to offer me means a lot to me.”

It was Feagin’s third time visiting campus this summer as well. He visited Notre Dame June 6 and later that month for a prospect camp, which is where he showed the staff his skills in-person.

“I got to see a lot more of the campus then I did the first and second time I went, and I also got to meet a lot of the coaches and talk to them more,” Feagin said about his July 27 visit.

Pittsburgh Central Catholic class of 2023 linebacker Anthony Speca’s visit for the Grill and Chill wasn’t his first time on campus over the summer either. He visited campus at the end of June and returned to campus in July with his teammate and class of 2022 Notre Dame defensive tackle commit Donovan Hinish.

It was important to Speca to return to campus.

“I wanted to be up there with all the other guys,” he said. “I wanted to get to meet players on the team and some of the other recruits. It’s also great for building relationships with the staff.”

The 6-3, 220-pound rising sophomore had an enjoyable time during his return trip too.

“This visit went great,” Speca noted. “Overall, it was just a fun time. I saw everything that I saw last time, but my experience on the field was crazy. The stadium is pretty awesome and to stand on the 50 and look around gave me goosebumps.”

It’s early in Speca’s recruitment, but Notre Dame – led by Chad Bowden, Mike Elston, Marcus Freeman and Nick Lezynski – is in prime position for the coveted 2024 recruit.

“They are definitely up there – great staff, great program,” Speca said of his interest in Notre Dame. “It’s too early to really say anything for sure, but they are great people up there.”

Speca is the first recruit in the 2024 class to receive an offer from the Fighting Irish.

Yet another return visitor for the Grill and Chill was Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington class of 2023 athlete Micah Tease, who camped at Notre Dame for Irish Invasion June 6 and received an offer from the Irish staff two days later.

His first experience in South Bend was centered around the camp and not so much getting a feel for Notre Dame’s campus. He got familiar with it during his July visit, though.

“The visit was amazing,” he said. “It was my first time getting to see it all, and it was pretty good. I got to interact with the whole staff and got to talk with the team.”

The two main members of the Notre Dame coaching staff who Tease hung out with were Brian Polian and Mike Mickens.

“They were talking to me about the school a little bit but majority of it was outside of football and my everyday life,” noted Tease.

Notre Dame hosted Detroit Martin Luther King quarterback Dante Moore for the July 27 event, and he was accompanied by offensive guard recruit and teammate Jonathan Slack. Both prospects are in the 2023 class.

Traffic made the duo get in later then they hoped, but that didn’t stop them for having a good time.

“The visit was great; I liked the hospitality the coaches had for us,” Slack said. “I also liked the football facility and locker room. Notre Dame is a very nice school.”

Slack is excited for his junior season and will pave the way for Moore to put up big numbers.

“Most people wish they had a player on their team like Dante, so I just try to protect him in the best way possible,” Slack said. “He’s a great player, and when he’s locked in there’s no stopping him. We both want a championship ring.”

Slack doesn’t hold a scholarship offer from Notre Dame yet, but the likes of Arizona State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Mississippi, Oregon, Tennessee and West Virginia are after the 6-4, 279-pound prospect.

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