‘I think that’s a system I could thrive in’ – Notre Dame gaining a lot of momentum heading into crucial recruiting weekend
Notre Dame enters critical recruiting weekend for top running back target.
Notre Dame football is set for a huge weekend with the USC Trojans heading to South Bend for a primetime matchup on Saturday night. While the attention will be on the game, this will also be a huge recruiting weekend for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff. There is a long list of impressive 2027 and 2028 recruits heading to campus for the matchup.
One of the more interesting recruiting targets set to visit is 2027 Houston (Texas) The Kinkaid School running back Wayne Shanks Jr., who is one of the more explosive runners in the country. This will be the first visit for Shanks, who has a great early opinion of the Notre Dame program. With a good visit, the Irish could sky rocket to the top of his list.
Heading into the visit, Shanks did an interview with Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman. He had a lot of great things to say about the program, including his potential fit in Mike Denbrock’s offense.
“Notre Dame has been really consistent with the communication, and that’s something I really appreciate,” Shanks told Spiegelman. “I’ve had a chance to talk with a lot of the people on staff, and they’ve taken time to show interest and show how they’re excited to get me up. I’m excited to see this highly praised culture and standard of Notre Dame. I really like how they utilize two really good backs in the passing game and also in the run game … to show the versatility. I think that’s a system I could thrive in!”
Wayne Shanks Jr. recruiting background
The recruiting rankings for Shanks are all over the place currently. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, the Texas native is currently rated as a four-star player. That ranking also has Shanks pegged as the No. 278 overall player, the No. 23 running back, and the No. 43 player in the state of Texas for the 2027 recruiting class.
From an offer list perspective, the pool of notable programs that continues to pursue Shanks seemingly grows every day. Some of his top offers currently include the Fighting Irish, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida, Florida State, Nebraska, Missouri, Texas Tech, Pittsburgh, SMU, Houston, Baylor, Kansas, Duke, Oregon State, and Purdue, among several others.
As a sophomore in 2024, Shanks put together a phenomenal season for the Kinkaid School. In 11 games, he rushed for 1,579 yards and 23 touchdowns. The 5-10, 180-pound athlete also hauled in another 15 receptions for 223 yards and four scores as a receiver.
Shanks is off to a strong start once again this season. He has rushed for 873 and 16 touchdowns through seven games. His impact as a receiver has improved as well, making 16 catches for 280 yards and five scores. That is an average of 17.5 yards per reception for Shanks.
Although smaller than the current duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, Shanks brings an extremely interesting fit as an all-purpose weapon in the Irish offense. Shanks’ fit will become a lot more clear after this weekend.
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