ND recruiting well in Southeast
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Now: Folston had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2014, rushing for 889 yards and six touchdowns. He was slated to be the No. 1 back as a junior, but his 2015 season was cut short after he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1.
WR
Corey Holmes, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas
2014 - 4-star, No. 224 nationally
Then: Holmes chose Notre Dame over Florida and Miami.
Now: Holmes played in two games as a sophomore and is currently listed as a third-string wide receiver on the Irish depth chart.
RB
Dexter Williams, Orlando (Fla.) West Orange
2015 - 4-star, No. 120 nationally.
Then: Williams committed to the Irish on Signing Day, choosing ND over Louisville and Miami.
Now: Williams has seen action in two games for the Irish as true freshman and has 72 yards rushing on the season.
Georgia
K
Tyler Newsome, Carrollton, Ga.
2014 - 3-star, No. 6 kicker nationally
Then: Notre Dame was Newsome's only major offer.
Now: After not playing as a freshman, Newsome won the starting punting job and is averaging 44.3 yards per punt this season.
DE
Isaac Rochell, McDonough (Ga.) Eagle's Landing Christian
2013 - 4-star, No. 124 nationally
Now: Rochell had a breakout season in 2014, starting every game on the defensive line. He has continued his role as a standout and has 29 tackles through six games this season.
DB
Avery Walls, McDonough (Ga.) Eagle's Landing Christian
2015 - 4-star, No. 120 nationally.
Then: Walls (now Sebastian) committed to California out of high school and spent four years in Berkeley before transferring to Notre Dame this offseason.
Now: Sebastian was injured in the Irish season-opener and has yet to play again this season.
Kentucky
OT
Hunter Bivin, Owensboro (Ky.) Apollo
2013 - 4-star, No. 162 nationally
Then: Bivin chose Notre Dame almost a year before he signed his Letter of Intent as the Irish were his childhood favorite and led pretty much start to finish in his recruitment.
Now: Bivin saw spot duty during his second year on campus in 2014 and is listed as the back up left tackle, behind senior Ronnie Stanley.
Louisiana
DT
Jerry Tillery, Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian
2015 - 4-star, No. 145 nationally
Then: Tillery choose the chance to play defense for the Irish over LSU and others.
Now: Tillery has earned playing time as a true freshman and already has nine tackles and a sack.
South Carolina
WR
WR Chris Brown, Hanahan, S.C.
2012 - 3-star, No. 11 in South Carolina
Then: An official visit to Notre Dame early in his senior year sealed the deal for Brown, who also had offers from Virginia Tech and South Carolina.
Now: Brown is well on his way to having the best season of his career, with 24 catches for 317 yards and two touchdowns.
Tennessee
OT
Alex Bars, Nashville (Tenn.) MBA
2014 - 4-star, No. 98 nationally
Then: Bars is a Notre Dame legacy and seemed bound for Irish from early on in his recruitment. Georgia and Tennessee gave chase but he ended his recruitment in the spring before his senior season.
Now: Bars has seen spot action in his one-plus seasons in South Bend and is currently listed as the back up left guard, behind fellow sophomore Quenton Nelson.
Woody Wommack
Southeast Recruiting Analyst
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