Notre Dame Fighting Irish news: Sam Hartman officially Irish, Lucas a long shot

Notre Dame football got the news they were looking for on Thursday when former Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman announced his commitment to the team. What has been rumored for quite some time has finally come to fruition, and the Irish can now search for complimentary pieces in the portal.

We mentioned yesterday that Thomas Harper, a safety from Oklahoma State, was visiting South Bend. By all accounts, the trip went very well. As a result, he could be the next to announce a commitment to the Fighting Irish. While he has battled some injuries throughout his career, Harper would be a great addition to a relatively inexperienced safety group.

I can’t confirm this officially because I saw it via message boards on 247Sports from unverified sources, but Anthony Lucas was set to visit ASU and USC. While Notre Dame could still be in the running, it seems as if he wants to stay closer to home. Though they miraculously managed to keep Drew Pyne in check, that USC defense needs all the help it can get. Lucas would be a great addition to any team.

Regardless of who they secure commitments from, the Irish still need to add another safety and some defensive linemen to the squad. In addition, it wouldn’t hurt to add a speedy wide receiver, which seems like they’re trying to do. They recently offered former Michigan wide receiver Andrel Anthony Jr. who the Irish also offered out of high school.

Anthony is a former 3-star receiver from East Lansing, so Notre Dame wouldn’t be too far from home for the wideout. Notre Dame also offered Cal J. Michael Sturdivant from the University of California. Sturdivant is similar in skill set to Anthony as they’re both speedy receivers that can take the top off a defense. With Sam Hartman officially headed to South Bend, finding some fast receivers to take deep shots only makes sense.

It remains to be seen who exactly will be Irish when the portal closes in a couple of weeks, but the staff is working tirelessly. While we’d love to add some young talented players like CJ Williams or Anthony Lucas, the Irish need to find veterans that are proven commodities.