SOUTH BEND, Ind. - True, Shaquelle Evans, his star player at Inglewood (Calif.) High School had already this week met with and reaffirmed his commitment to Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, but Charles Mincy knows that for high school players hearing rumors about Weis’ future, it had to have been tough.

"The uncertainty, that can't be good,” Mincy said.

That uncertainty was put to rest Tuesday night when it was learned that Weis will return to Notre Dame in 2009 for a fifth year.

Weis hit the ground running following last Saturday’s 38-3 drubbing at the hands of Southern California. Saturday night after the game, Weis told reporters that he remains the football coach at Notre Dame, and starting Sunday, he hit the road to tell recruits the same.

And Evans, one of the jewels of Notre Dame’s 17-man recruiting class, remains solid. He met with Weis and special teams coordinator Brian Polian on Sunday, and came out of the meeting firm in his commitment.

"It's not something that's up in the air," Inglewood assistant coach Khalid Ali said Monday. "He feels confident Charlie Weis will be there. He's not worried about that."

Weis’ job right now, with no bowl destination or opponent set, is to work living rooms and try to add to a class that could again dent the top 10, albeit the back end this season after finishing second in last year’s recruiting rankings. And with the Irish enjoying a successful recruiting run this year in southern California, Weis was able to get to work immediately.

Cornerback Marlon Pollard of San Bernardino and running back Cierre Wood of Oxnard, along with Evans and Chicago-area offensive lineman Chris Watt, are considered the top players in this class.

Pollard previously had been committed to UCLA before flipping over the summer, and Evans was a soft verbal to USC before picking the Irish last month.

Also expected to receive visits from Weis this week before he winds his way back to South Bend for Friday’s annual football banquet were San Diego running back Tyler Gaffney and Byron Moore, another L.A.-area standout. Moore is committed to USC but took a visit to South Bend for the Nov. 22 loss to Syracuse.

And another visit was expected to Hawaii to meet with Monti Te’o, one of the nation’s top linebackers, another player who was in the stands for the Syracuse game. Weis also visited Te’o during the school’s bye week in October.

Barr none
Los Angeles running back Anthony Barr was expected to be one of the recruiting guests of USC for last Saturday’s game.

And that’s a big deal because?

Barr is the son of former Irish running back Tony Brooks, and nephew of former Irish back Reggie Brooks. Barr, a junior running back at Loyola High, visited Notre Dame earlier this season. He ran for close to 2,000 yards this season.

Just because Barr visited SC, however, doesn’t necessarily mean another loss to the Trojans.

"There's always that possibility they're going to return to national prominence, and to be part of that, I don't think any parent can say they don't want to be part of the rebound of that program,” Lori Barr, Anthony’s mother, told the L.A. Times.

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