Allen Wallace from SuperPrep posted a free article last night with an update on Chris Donald. The full article can be found here, but here are a few interesting quotes from it.
“On December 8, I’m visiting Tennessee,” Donald said. “I expect it to be somewhat different from when I visited Notre Dame (October 7). I’m a Tennessee boy; they treat me like a hero or something. Tennessee is my home state. I love it here and I’ll be close to my mother. Tennessee is a great school, they’re doing well and I’ve been talking to the coaches since my junior year.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Notre Dame, but the article did have some positive news for Notre Dame as well…
“I met Toryan Smith (linebacker) who was my host during my visit at Notre Dame and we have, since then, developed a friendship,” he said. “We text each other all the time. We talk about lots of different things. He’d love for me to play for the Irish, but understands that I have to make the decision on my own.”
I find it very interesting that Donald mentioned Smith by name and I think it really helps Notre Dame’s chances that Donald’s found someone at Notre Dame that he’s developed a close bond with. Smith, like Donald is hails from the South and having a fellow linebacker from down South in South Bend can only help Notre Dame’s chances.
Donald knows where he is going based on a report last week from the Tennessean and said he’ll let the coaches know a couple days before the All American Bowl and then announce publicly during the game.
The article from SuperPrep also has some good quotes from Donald and Weis and Minter and is definitely worth a read.
Donald has already seen Tennessee multiple times so I wouldn’t read too much into the fact that he’s decided where he wants to go before the official.
It is very possible that he has selected Tennessee, but on the same token, its very possible he’s selected Notre Dame but is taking the visit to Tennessee as a courtesy to Tennessee. Again, however, these are all hypotheticals.
Sounds like he’s a lock to stay in TN.
“I love it here [at Tennessee] and I’ll be close to my mother.” He’s not using the subjunctive tense, “would be close to my mother.” And he’s made a decision before visiting TN, he wouldn’t decide on ND without visiting TN and then still visit TN.