Analysts predict good recruiting fortune for Notre Dame

By Dallas Jackson, Rivals.com, Special to SI.com

Myrtle Beach, S.C. native Everett Golson was one of several players Notre Dame nabbed from ACC territory in 2011. Analysts think the Irish will be more successful with their new schedule.

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The Atlantic Coast Conference Council of Presidents has announced that Notre Dame will be added to its conference in all sports but football, and the Irish will play at least five ACC members per season in football.

It's a move that can only help Notre Dame from a recruiting perspective.

Jake Brown of IrishIllustrated.com believes Notre Dame can increase its recruiting presence in an area of the country where it has been actively trying to make a stronger impression.

"It will put Notre Dame in front of kids in the Tidewater [Virginia] area and in the Carolinas," Brown said. "Those are two major areas that this current staff has been trying to go hard into. If you want to stretch it even further north it will get Notre Dame into Washington, D.C., too. All of those areas are viewed as being on the rise in talent, and this staff has put an emphasis on recruiting there."

As recently as last week Notre Dame got a commitment from Richmond (Va.) Woodberry Forest School in four-star linebacker Doug Randolph, who was previously committed to Stanford.

In the Class of 2012, Notre Dame landed wide receiver Chris Brown from Hanahan (S.C.) High, offensive lineman Mark Harrell from Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic, defensive end Romeo Okwara from Charlotte (N.C.) Ardrey Kell, and defensive back CJ Prosise from Woodberry Forest (Va.) Academy.

The Class of 2011 featured three players from the region as well and was headlined by Myrtle Beach (S.C.) High quarterback Everett Golson but also included defensive end Ben Councell from Asheville (N.C.) Reynold and Matthias Farley from Charlotte (N.C.) Christian.

According to Brown, it is a move that makes an already well-respected brand more relevant in all areas of the country.

"Notre Dame has gone coast-to-coast with its recruiting," he said. "The foundations of the program will still stay in the Midwest, but with games on the West Coast and now guaranteed games on the East Coast it will make the program more aggressive nationally than it is has been in maybe the last 20 years."

Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell said that while this move will not only help Notre Dame; it is a major victory for the ACC.

"This can be a move that helps Notre Dame in the Southeast," Farrell said. "They are picking it up in South Carolina and have usually done well in North Carolina and Virginia. But this could move them into Georiga and Florida with games against Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Miami.

"But I do think this is a move that will help the entire conference. There was a perception that the ACC was just barely a more viable conference than the Big East, but this is a very visible move of strength for the conference."