Elite DT Justin Scott Sets Commitment Date

Earlier in the week Scott announced he had narrowed his list of top schools down to eight. Notre Dame made the list along with Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, USC, Miami  (Fla.), Oregon and Colorado.

Notre Dame was perceived to be an early lean for Scott, but other programs have caught up, and in some instances have surpassed the Irish. Head coach Marcus Freeman and several other Notre Dame coaches, including defensive coordinator Al Golden, defensive line coach Al Washington and wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey all stopped by his high school earlier today (Friday) to speak to his coach and reassure the staff that Scott is still a major, major priority for Notre Dame.

The 6-5, 310-pound defensive tackle is a very rare athlete. His ability to play with explosiveness and make plays combines uniquely with his size and power. Although he possesses the body of a nose tackle, Scott has the athleticism of a defensive tackle, and could even thrive as a five-technique that can play over the offensive tackle in three-man fronts.

Notre Dame has to finish strong in this recruitment, as Scott is the ideal fit for the Irish program and an elite player from their backyard.

Scott is a five-star recruit on the Irish Breakdown board, and he's also a five-star recruit according to Rivals, who ranks him as the No. 12 player in the country. He is also ranked as the No. 1 defensive lineman in the land and the No. 1 player from Chicago. On3 ranks him as the No. 16 player in the country while ESPN ranks him No. 28 nationally.