Notre Dame football eying a splashy recruiting staff hire with some SEC flare that could send some shockwaves across CFB
The search for the next Notre Dame general manager continues. Irish head coach Marcus Freeman turned his full focus to Texas Tech GM James Blanchard, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to convince him to come to South Bend. While that search continues, the staff is also eyeing to add a huge potential fixture to their […]
The search for the next Notre Dame general manager continues. Irish head coach Marcus Freeman turned his full focus to Texas Tech GM James Blanchard, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to convince him to come to South Bend. While that search continues, the staff is also eyeing to add a huge potential fixture to their recruiting operation.
According to On3 Transfer Portal reporter Pete Nakos, Notre Dame is targeting Auburn staffer Kenyatta Watson for a “key front-office recruiting role” with the Irish. Watson is not being targeted for the general manager position, but this would be a statement hire for the people in South Bend.
“Auburn signed a top-10 recruiting class for the second straight cycle and nobody impacted that haul more than Kenyatta,” On3 vice president Steve Wiltfong said. “He was the lead recruiter for what felt like half the class, including five-star quarterback Deuce Knight. There are not many in college football that are as strong recruiting from the off-field role as Watson.”
Nakos also commented on Watson’s impact on the portal side of the roster building operation. “On top of his impact in high school recruiting, Watson helped Auburn land the ninth-ranked portal class according to On3. With his Atlanta ties, he landed the No. 3 player in On3’s Industry Transfer Portal Rankings in Georgia Tech transfer wide receiver Eric Singleton.”
Watson’s name is well known in recruiting circles around college football. He was a college football player himself, attending Boston College but has deep roots in the South, originally from Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Before he made the jump to the college personnel side, Watson spent some time at Grayson High School, a powerhouse program in the state of Georgia. There he served as the director of football operations and recruiting, where Nakos said he assisted in helping around 120 football players receive college scholarships.
He was the director of scouting for Georgia Tech before heading over to Auburn. It’s uncertain just how interested Watson is in the job, but there is a reason his name is out there. This would be a statement hire for the Irish if they make this happen, and would put programs all across college football, especially in the Southeast on notice.
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