Chicago Mount Carmel four-star DB Tavares Harrington includes Notre Dame in top six

Tavares Harrington has trimmed his list to five schools. And Notre Dame remains firmly in the mix for the Chicago Mount Carmel four-star defensive back.

On Saturday, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Harrington announced to Rivals recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett that he is down to Notre Dame, Alabama, Auburn, Michigan and Ole Miss. His previous top 10 also included Arkansas, Georgia, Florida State, Kentucky, Nebraska and Oklahoma. But those programs are no longer under consideration as his recruitment enters the stretch run.

According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, Harrington is one of the nation’s top defensive backs, checking in as the No. 8 safety, No. 124 overall player nationally and No. 8 prospect in Illinois. Notre Dame initially recruited him as a cornerback — Harrington’s preferred position — though he has said previously that he could also see himself playing elsewhere in the secondary.

As Harrington enters this next phase of his recruitment, he is expected to officially visit each of his finalists. His return trip to South Bend is scheduled for the weekend of June 12.

Harrington has reported four Notre Dame unofficial visits, including two in the same week in April. He also made trips to Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, Michigan and Ole Miss this spring.

After Harrington’s second trip to Notre Dame on Sept. 13 for the Texas A&M game, he was predicted to the Irish by Rivals national recruiting director Steve Wiltfong. Although Notre Dame remains the current Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) favorite, the Irish’s standing in his recruitment has ebbed and flowed.

When former Notre Dame defensive backs coach Mike Mickens left for the same position with the Baltimore Ravens in January, Harrington told Blue & Gold he had not fully processed Mickens’ departure because of the significant role he played in his recruitment. As a result, some of the momentum between Harrington and Notre Dame began to cool.

But after the Irish hired defensive backs coach Aaron Henry and rehired safeties coach Jevaughn Codlin, things quickly picked back up. Henry recruited Harrington at Illinois, while Codlin maintained a strong presence in Harrington’s process as a defensive analyst before his brief stint at North Texas.

If Harrington ultimately chooses the Irish, his relationships with the coaching staff are expected to be a major factor. He previously told Blue & Gold he planned to commit July 11, but recently told Ethan McDowell of The Wolverine that his decision could now come at the end of June.