Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Top 10 Recruiting Misses of the Brian Kelly Era
By Andrew Hall
No. 10 – Jalen McMillan – Wide Receiver – Class of 2020 (Washington)
During a press conference prior to the Camping World Bowl, Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly offered that the Irish were capable of landing top 5 recruiting classes. If Notre Dame becomes a perennial recruiting powerhouse, Brian Kelly needs to be intricately involved with prospects. His lack of involvement caused one of Notre Dame’s most recent misses, Jalen McMillan.
McMillan told the South Bend Tribune, “With Coach Kelly, he never texted me. He didn’t text my mom, my dad. So I didn’t feel like we had a relationship for me to actually want to go there.”
It is not a guarantee that Kelly’s involvement would have caused McMillan to ink with the Irish. However, it is likely that McMillan takes a long, serious look at Notre Dame. The Irish really had an opportunity when long time Washington coach Chris Peterson retired.
Why is McMillan ranked here: Although it cannot ever be truly known, if Kelly would have made a more significant push for the Fresno, California product, he might be wearing Blue and Gold instead of Purple and Gold. He ranked as the 67th recruit in the 2020 class. If McMillan was included in the 2020 class, Notre Dame’s class ranking jumps from 17th to 10th. He is not ranked any higher because it is unknown how big or small this “miss” will look in three to four years. If McMillan wins the Biletnikoff Award and is selected in the first round then Kelly and the Irish coaching staff may be kicking themselves.