4-star LB Brian Huff previews upcoming Notre Dame visit, other top schools

Chad Simmons updated head shotby:Chad Simmons04/20/23

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Jonesboro (Ark.) Valley View four-star linebacker Brian Huff holds 16 offers and plans to commit sometime during the early part of the season. To get to that decision, official visits will have to be taken to narrow down his list.

Huff already has three officials visits set for the spring with Missouri, Notre Dame and UCF. This weekend he’ll get his first look at the Fighting Irish as he’ll be in attendance for Notre Dame’s spring game on Saturday.

“I’m excited for the chance to meet with Coach (Al) Golden,” Huff told On3. “We talk every day so I just want to see what they’re about, what the coaching staff is like and how the team bonds on and off of the field.”

Huff said that he’s been in contact with Golden since early January. Notre Dame extended an offer to him on Jan. 19 and the two have been in daily contact since.

After this visit to South Bend, Huff won’t be on campus again until his June 10 official. While that date seems far away, Huff knows just how important this upcoming visit will be in setting expectations for his next trip.

“This first visit is big for me because there’s no better time to do it than to see them play in the spring game,” said Huff, the No. 155 player in the 2024 On300. “You get to see what it’s like there and everything around the program in real time.”

Missouri and UCF also sitting high for Huff

While this weekend will be the first time Huff visits Notre Dame, he’s more familiar with the two other teams he’s already set officials with.

Huff’s visited Missouri twice and the Tigers sit with the highest chance to land Huff’s commitment according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

The main reason why the Tigers sit so high for Huff is his relationship with Missouri linebackers coach DJ Smith and the rest of the coaching staff.

“Coach DJ and pretty much their entire defensive staff talk every day constantly,” Huff said. “They’re a good team, an SEC school and they’re pretty close to home which is also nice.”

Huff also noted that his relationship with UCF linebackers coach Ernie Smith as a positive one and said that he also talks with him almost every day.

He played in the league so he can teach me a ton of things and get me ready for that next step after college,” Huff said.

Huff was in Orlando on March 22 for his first trip to the school. Along with his relationship with Sims, the size of the school as a whole really stood out to him.

“When I went to their campus, there were people everywhere,” Huff said. “There’s like 70,000 people there and that’s the size of my hometown. I really don’t do much here and chill so it was neat to experience that.”