Recruits Are Coming

Hey, there’s nothing like a huge, huge home football opener to add a little recruiting luster to what is shaping up as a big Notre Dame weekend.

Penn State is coming to South Bend on Saturday and among the 80,000-plus interested spectators will be four of the nation’s top high school recruits. So there’s no confusion, they will be there to see Notre Dame and coach Charlie Weis and not the Nittany Lions and forever coach Joe Paterno.

The best recruit is wide receiver Arrelious Benn. He is ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect by national recruiting expert Tom Lemming. Benn is 6-2 and 210 pounds and is very, very fast.

Also coming are safety Harrison Smith from Tennessee, offensive lineman Trinton Sturdivant from North Carolina and offensive lineman Chris Little from Georgia.

Lemming rates Smith as the No. 89 prospect, Little at No. 33 and Sturdivant at No. 99.

Sturdivant is already orally committed to Georgia, but in the cutthroat world of recruiting, you take you best shot unless the player tells you to back off. Considering that the second-ranked Irish (1-0) are aiming for perennial national title contending status, backing off isn't an option.

How’s that for huge.