RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

By Jeremy Crabtree

updated 2:16 p.m. ET July 9, 2008

Looking for an early candidate for Rivals.com’s national recruiter of the year? Check out Notre Dame assistant Brian Polian.

It should be no surprise that Polian knows talent. His father, Bill, is the president of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. Older brother Chris serves as the assistant general manager for the Colts, and younger brother Dennis works for the Arena Football League.

Since his arrival at Notre Dame in 2004 from UCF, where he had been that program’s recruiting coordinator, Polian has become one of the top recruiters in the Midwest and West. Last year, he reeled in five prospects: two five-star prospects and three four-star players. This year, he is responsible for five early commitments, including the nation’s No. 2 player in running back Cierre Wood of Oxnard (Calif.) Santa Clara and talented linebacker Dan Fox of Cleveland St. Ignatius.

He also helped orchestrate the biggest news of this week, when four-star cornerback Marlon Pollard switched his commitment from UCLA to Notre Dame.

“Coach Polian was honest and direct with me,” said Pollard, a 6-foot-1, 160-pounder from San Bernardino (Calif.) Cajon who announced his switch on Monday. “He talked to me about all the advantages of playing at a great academic institution that Notre Dame is. He also talked about how it would be a great fit for me socially. The way he treated me and my family was another big factor in my decision to switch.”

As Notre Dame’s special teams coach, Polian also has helped the Irish score commitments from two of the nation’s best specialists — kickers Nick Tausch of Dallas Jesuit and Ben Turk of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas.

Polian also has a few big fish potentially on the line. Five-star receiver wide Shaquelle Evans of Inglewood (Calif.) High is giving Notre Dame a strong look, as is five-star linebacker Manti Te’o of Honolulu Punahou. Notre Dame is also trying to make a push for four-star fullback Tyler Gaffney of San Diego Cathedral Catholic.

Tigers Roaring
Auburn debuted at No. 23 in the first edition of the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings, but the Tigers should climb higher in the next update. Since the release, Auburn has scored a commitment from three-star linebacker Brandon Jacobs of Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview.

They also have a commitment from potential four-star cornerback Reggie Taylor of Fort Valley (Ga.) Peach County, but he has yet to be officially ranked by Rivals.com.

Early on, Auburn linebacker coach James Willis has been a workhorse. He has had a hand in helping secure commitments from seven players, including four in-state prospects. Throw in commitments from highly regarded junior college players Nick Fairley and Eltoro Freeman, and the job Willis has done is even more impressive.

The Tigers’ current class of 18 players definitely is defense-oriented. Auburn always does a great job of finding — and developing — defensive talent, and this group should be no exception. Defensive tackle Jamontay Pilson of Greenville (Ala.) High is a four-star recruit with a load of potential, and Harris Gaston of Bessemer (Ala.) Bessemer Academy, Jonathan Evans of Prichard (Ala.) Blount and Jacobs give the Tigers one of the nation’s best linebacker groups thus far.

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