Before Calvin Brewton became a building block of the 2015 Florida State recruiting class, the 4-star defensive back knew his recruitment process would take him to South Bend, Indiana. That ambition comes to fruition this weekend when the Miami Central High School standout uses an official visit at Notre Dame.
"This is a trip I've wanted to make for a very long time," Brewton told Bleacher Report.
The 6'0", 185-pound playmaker plans to spend the entire weekend on campus, including a front-row seat to watch the Fighting Irish take on Stanford. Brewton, who committed to the Seminoles in January as a junior, is anticipating an excellent matchup.
"It's a great game to be at," he said. "Notre Dame versus Stanford is one of the best rivalries in football and both teams look like they have a chance to compete for championship this season. South Bend will be rocking."
Of course, his stay on campus has a lot more to do with the future than simply how the game outcome affects next week's national rankings. Brewton wants to find out whether Notre Dame is the kind of place he could call home for the next stage of his life.
"It's an exciting opportunity to explore something that's completely new to me," he said. "It's been a goal of mine to get up there since I started picking up a lot of offers, before I even committed to Florida State. I'll be looking closely at everything, from the atmosphere to the facilities and how I get along with the coaches."
Brewton wasn't entirely definite on which Irish player will serve as his host for the weekend but believes it could be fellow Florida product Greg Bryant, a sophomore running back. He is being primarily recruited by Notre Dame assistant coach Tony Alford, who played an instrumental role in convincing him to set up a campus visit.
"It's something coach and I have talked about for a while and it was just a matter of making it work," Brewton said. "He's a great guy and always stays in contact with me. He makes sure I know I mean a lot to them."
Brewton will keep a close eye on the Irish defense Saturday and has been impressed with what he's seen from the unit so far this season.
"Those guys are making plays, especially in the secondary," Brewton said. "That's great to see and I've had a chance to watch them pay this year because of the national television exposure. They totally shut down Michigan, which was great to see."
Though he has plenty of respect for the Notre Dame defense, his faith in Florida State's unit hasn't dissipated despite some shaky moments. The reigning national champions allow 25 points per game, ranked 66th nationally in that category.
"I don't think they've changed much on defense since (former coordinator Jeremy Pruitt left)," Brewton said. "They've made some minor mistakes at times but I think they'll be fine with the talent and coaches that are there."
He said the Seminoles view him as a versatile athlete who draws comparisons to former star defensive back Lamarcus Joyner, another coveted Miami prospect who is now a St. Louis Rams rookie.
"They think there are similarities between the two of us because I can be anywhere they need me on the field," Brewton said. "They think I have the skills to play safety because of the way I hit and I can cover the pass as a cornerback or at nickel."
Notre Dame has a similar assessment of Brewton.
"Coach (Brian) Kelly and his staff like the way I can play different positions," he said. "They believe I can be a shutdown player in pass coverage."
Brewton, rated 17th nationally among safety prospects in 247Sports' composite rankings, also holds offers from the likes of Louisville, Wisconsin, Clemson and Georgia. However, it seems his recruitment is a two-team race at this stage.
"I'm still solid to the 'Noles," he said. "This Notre Dame visit is something I need to do though. It's a place I need to check out for myself. Other than those two schools, I'm not really considering much else right now."
The Irish have a golden opportunity to present Brewton with a sales pitch for why he should flip from Florida State. Interestingly enough, he plans to use an official visit to Tallahassee late this month when the Seminoles host Notre Dame.
This recruiting battle between two proud teams may just be beginning to brew.
