Notre Dame Football Recruiting’s Top Remaining Targets (Updated: July 31st, 2014)
By Andrew Hall
Jul 10, 2014; Beaverton, OR, USA; A general view of a helmet worn during Nike Football
1. Byron Cowart – Strong-Side Defensive End – Seffner, Florida (Armwood)
247: 15th Rivals: 1st ESPN: 5th Scout: 11th
Cowart checks in at 6’4″ 250 lbs. Cowart hails from Armwood High School in Seffner, Florida. During his Junior season, Cowart collected 72 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and 2 fumble recoveries for touchdown.
The elite Defensive End says that he will take an official visit to Notre Dame, most likely for the game against Stanford. His comments in recent interviews sound like a prospect who would be highly interested in Notre Dame. Cowart discusses faith and opportunities outside of football, two things where the University of Notre Dame is definitely elite.
Based on the information that poured out of “The Opening”, fans can be assured that the Fighting Irish have a real chance with Cowart. They will need to battle Florida and Oregon to land his signature. But, what seemed like a pipe dream a month ago is a very realistic opportunity today.
Cowart is ranked first on our list for two reasons. First, he is consistently ranked in the Top 20 of all recruiting services. It is clear that he is a top player regardless of exact ranking. Second, Notre Dame needs an elite Defensive End in this class. Landing an elite front seven player in each class is crucial for Notre Dame. It is the only way they will have a chance at winning the College Football Playoff.