Spencer Klopfenstein

Dallas Gant is scheduled to make his commitment on May 16th, but a few months back, the 2018 Ohio linebacker made another commitment, when he started working out full-time at Elite Athletes Only in Toledo. Dan Jones, owner of EAO Sports, is a demanding, while encouraging trainer. "When we train athletes, I'm using all of the same methods and technology as other strength coaches, but I do a lot of what we call, mindset warfare," says Jones, who also serves as strength coach for the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL. "Just taking guys and making them become comfortable with uncomfortableWe really teach kids about work ethic and about drive. We teach the Dallas Gants of the world to believe in themselves, have confidence and never let anybody outwork you." One of Jones' key beliefs is that the mind will quit before the body. "If you're used to the suffering and lactic acid is building up and your ventilation is bad, your ability to breathe and everything else late in the game," he explains. "You're suffering just as much as the other guy, but the difference is you understand it and have a bit of a comfort zone with the pain zone. "If you practice that way, the games are easy." Jones, who has trained guys like former Ohio State All-American and current Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman Jack Mewhort and former Michigan starting center Jack Miller among many others, acknowledges his style isn't for everybody. "But we've been fortunate enough, lucky enough, I'm hoping maybe good enough to develop a lot of professional and high-level Division-I athletes and world champion ju-jitsu fighters," he says. It didn't take long for Gant to decide it was for him. "He kind of came in and stuck his toe in the water," Jones recalls. "He started training once or twice a week. It didn't take long. I bet after three or four sessions, he was totally committed to changing and training 100 percent at EAO. The buy-in comes from not just commitment to consistent training. You have to work hard because that's our culture." The results are already evident. "He's only been here four months and he's gone from 205 to 226," says Jones. "His progress is dramatic in his ability to execute and control his body in space, his speed/strength, his strength/speed, his total strength. I won't get into the science of it, but I can't believe the difference in this kid in a short period of time. By the time I get him to August, I expect to have him probably 232, 233, explosive, wicked with a mental edge and ready to compete. "When these kids go and gain that 20, 25, 30 pounds or whatever, they're faster and more explosive because of the way we trainWe're never moving the body or the bar through space slowly, we're always accelerating." Jones calls Gant's work ethic "fabulous." "He's pretty quiet," the trainer says. "I started out calling him The Quiet Riot. He's on time. He's very respectful. He's very coachable. Dallas is very, very articulate. Academically, he's very smart. His dad is a lawyer by education, he's like third in command with Toledo Public Schools. His mom has her Masters and is a principal at a local high school. They're very, very high on academics. It's number one for Dallas." That's one clear reason Notre Dame made Gant's final five along with Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State. "As much as he wants to go to a good football school and all of the ones that are in front of him are all very good schools, including Notre Dame, but academics are a big part of it," Jones continues. "He's a faith-based kid. He's been raised in Catholic schools, in a private setting. This kid embodies it all. He's got the tangibles, he's got the intangibles. He's got the work ethic and the internal drive and desire to succeed. "He's not a liability. You don't have to babysit this kid with him getting in trouble in school or socially. He's low-risk. I think he's high-return. You're not going to have problems with him academics or socially. He's going to bring it all to work. Yesterday's gone, he knows that and he's going to bring it today." Tomorrow, Gant will be back in South Bend for the Blue-Gold Game, a chance for Notre Dame to potentially move to and/or secure its spot at the top of his list less than a month before his announcement. BIG WEEKEND FOR GANT: Gant may be the most important visitor this weekend. The Toledo native has been to Notre Dame countless times, so there really isn't much more to see around the campus. However, that doesn't mean Notre Dame and the Irish commits won't have a significant impact on him heading into his May 16th decision. In speaking to one source, the Notre Dame commits are the one group Gant has spent more time around than any other school. Through the various camps, 7-on-7 events, or whatever it might be, there has always been a Notre Dame commit around Gant. Will that pay off? We will see, but it can't be a bad thing. Another interesting aspect of the Notre Dame visit will be what the recruiting office chooses to do with Gant this time around. They can't show him more of the campus and it would be hard to top some of the big games Gant has seen. Notre Dame has made it a point in the past to communicate with the prospect and his family before the visit to ensure they see what they want to see. The Irish will surely put time with the staff on the table, but it will be interesting to see if they have a wildcard up their sleeve this weekend. AUTRY, AUSTIN CONNECTIONS CLEAR: Autry Denson has plenty of credibility when it comes to Kevin Austin Jr., a top 2018 wide receiver out of Florida, who will also be in South Bend this weekend. The Notre Dame assistant coach and the 2018 Florida wide receiver are both from Broward County and that's just the start of their connections. "My coach who coached him in Little League also coached me in Little League," Austin explains. "We both played running back in Little League. He was saying we both had that mindset of getting better and better. "There were, of course, players better than us when we were in Little League, but we just outworked them. I guess you could say we had the same type of mindset." Being able to connect with Denson has made forming a bond easier, according to Austin. "It's great because I can know what he felt and his experiences and the differences he liked or didn't like about both places and his decision," said Austin. Austin also has a connection to Denson through his trainer at Premier Athletes, Sly Johnson. "I'm good friends with Autry," Johnson explains. "He knows if I like someone, they have to be a high-quality person. That's always a good starting point for a relationship. Plus, it's Notre Dame. That's where Rudy went."Johnson also believes Denson's roots are helpful on the recruiting trail. "That's big because he's one of us and he's one of them," he explains. "He's a South Florida guy, but he bleeds green, so you've got the best of both worlds with him. Plus, he's a quality person." That's the other obvious connection between Austin and Denson. "Kevin is like a mini Autry when it comes to being enthusiastic and always doing the right things," says Johnson. "He's kind of too good to be true as a person, you're waiting for something to go wrong with him, but we've been waiting for four years now. You can't be really that good of a person. It's rare to find that." Johnson describes Austin as a "class act." "Oh, my goodness," he says. "You don't get a better quality kid. It's crazy. "The way he communicates. He's always polite and enthusiastic. He always overexaggerates doing the right thing whatever that is. He's always early. He's always mannerable, polite. He helps me with my young kids because he gets to camp early and the youth group is still going on. He'll help them and teach them. He's just a great person." That goes in line with what Johnson tries to teach all of his clients at Premier Athletes. "That's kind of what we embody," he explains. "Being a premier athlete is about being a premier person first, having integrity, pride, doing the right thing, being a good person. Being a good brother, neighbor, nephew, recruit, whatever." The connections between Austin and Denson could prove crucial as the Irish try to beat out the likes of Florida, Miami, Tennessee, Kentucky, Duke, Ohio State and USC for his commitment, but this weekend's visit will also be huge. "Everyone likes to feel at home when they go somewhere," says Johnson. Austin has worked with Johnson since his freshman season at North Broward Prep. "Coach Sly taught me basically everything I know, of course with the help from my coaches on my football team. But Coach Sly really helped me when there weren't a lot of people who thought I could do what I'm doing now." IRISH PLEDGES WILL PLAY KEY ROLES THIS WEEKEND: Several 2018 commits will also be in attendance this weekend as will a number of 2017 signees. Many commits become recruiters once they make their decisions, but they're often mindful of not pushing any other prospects too hard. The Irish pledges needn't worry about this weekend, at least not with a couple of prospects in attendance, including Austin, who has already heard from several of the Irish commits. "They've been saying, 'Come be a part of something great,'" Austin says. "They have one of the top recruiting classes already, so they said I should just join." Austin isn't going to be turned off by any aggressive recruiting tactics from his classmates. "All of my ears are really just open," he said. "I want to hear their perspective on why they committed and their reasons for it." 2018 Michigan offensive lineman Jalen Mayfield is of a similar mindset in that he is interested in what other players are being brought in to each program. Mayfield is also set to be at Notre Dame on Saturday. He doesn't have an offer from Notre Dame yet, but he does have offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Iowa among others. He acknowledges the Wolverines are his current leader."Really, how they have really good NFL experience," he said of why. "They send 14 players to the NFL this year, which is really unbelievable. And just the guys they're bringing in who I feel I could surround myself with to be great too." He sees a similar situation in South Bend. "I see Notre Dame is surrounding their players right now with some really great players in our class," he says. "Whatever program I go to, to be successful, you need to get good players. I think most, if not all, of these programs are getting great players to try to build their programs with." He's taken note of the players Notre Dame has landed. "I've seen Kalon Gervin. He's a really good guy. They've got a couple other o-linemen committed. I've watched video of them and they're really good. When I visit down there, that will give me a lot to think about. I know they're going to bring in top-end talent to compete. That really helps knowing they're not just going to get a good player and surround him with average players. They're looking for the best of the best and trying to win on the national level, not just locally." PITCHING COTA: 2018 Oregon receiver Chase Cota heads to South Bend for the first time this weekend. The four-star prospect is one of the hottest receivers in the country with Alabama and Georgia offering the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder earlier this week. Notre Dame is getting a visit due in large part to his relationship with 2018 Irish receiver commit Braden Lenzy. Both live in Oregon, although they are about eight hours apart, but they have developed a friendship over the years at various camps and 7-on-7 events. Lenzy has only visited South Bend once, but once was all he needed to know Notre Dame was right for him and he committed shortly afterward. The four-star prospect plans to show Cota why he committed this week and told us about a pitch he will likely use this weekend. "I have told him about the great academics, atmosphere, and football," Lenzy said. "A lot of people don't understand how great the alumni base is once football is done. You're able to get a job and are able to network. Notre Dame is second to none. "I would mention that to him. Everyone is going to be in the same situation, except Markese (Stepp), and we are all going far away for college. That's what makes everyone get closer too." 2019 OHIO TE EXCITED FOR FIRST ND VISIT: Spencer Klopfenstein will make his first trip to South Bend this weekend. The 6-foot-4, 216-pounder knows a good deal about Notre Dame, as his coach is a fan of the Irish. "It will be my first time going, and I have been waiting a while to visit Notre Dame," Klopfenstein said. "My coach is a big Notre Dame fan. He set the visit up, and I am just happy to have my name brought up. "He has told me that he likes the stadium. We both want to see the facilities and everything. I know Notre Dame is a nice program, so I am excited to get up there." The Ohio native is just seeing his recruitment pick up this spring and made the short trip to Cincinnati earlier this spring. "I went to a Cincinnati spring practice, but that's been it so far," he explained. "I liked the tempo of the practices. It was amazing to me how fast they were able to get in and get out. They were able to get all their stuff done. It was also a nice campus." Klopfenstein knows he has to keep working on his game to earn his first offer and that's exactly what he is doing this offseason. "Right now, I am better at receiving the ball," said Klopfenstein. "Blocking was my weak point last year, but I am working on it this offseason. I am working on my footwork throughout the blocking process and getting my hands better to hold my own." ON THE LAMB: Make no mistake about it, Notre Dame was one offer Jack Lamb really wanted, so the 2018 California linebacker was truly excited when he landed it on Tuesday night. In fact, we have it on pretty good authority that the Irish are in the top tier for Lamb along with schools like USC, UCLA, Washington, Stanford and Penn State. Both of his parents are Penn State grads, which is one reason the Nittany Lions are so high on the list. Lamb is tentatively planning a visit to South Bend this June. It'll be interesting to see what the Irish's need at the spot is by then, but if there's still room, we're confident the Temecula, Calif., native will take a good, hard look at Notre Dame. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has turned heads during the camp and 7-on-7 circuit in recent months and has even seen time and succeeded while playing cornerback at times this offseason. KAHO HOLDS IRISH HIGH: 2018 Nevada linebacker Brandon Kaho committed to BYU last summer, but the three-star prospect remains diligent in finding the best fit for him. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder recently released a top eight, which included the Irish. Kaho was relieved to cut his list down to Notre Dame, BYU, Utah, Cal, Washington, Stanford, UCLA and Oregon, in no particular order. "It took a lot of stress off of me, and it allows me to focus on the schools I really want to look into," Kaho told Irish Sports Daily. "There are a few other schools I'd love to talk with that haven't offered, but I am focused on these eight for now." Notre Dame's efforts have been led by Brian Polian, who knows the area well after coaching at Nevada for the last four seasons. However, it's a West Coast school that has the attention of Kaho. "Washington is recruiting me the hardest right now," stated Kaho. "Coach Polian and I haven't talked much because we have both been busy lately." However, expect Notre Dame to be a player as long as it wants to be as Kaho holds them in high regard. "The education and football is something special and unique." ZAIRE A FUTURE GATOR?: Former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire has yet to announce his next destination, but one spot is emerging as the clear frontrunner, although there are still some hurdles to be cleared. It's apparent Florida is Zaire's most likely landing spot right now, but it'll require an SEC rule change. Per current conference rules, the Gators are ineligible to bring in a fifth-year transfer because of multiple previous graduate transfers failing to complete their coursework at Florida. But there's a growing confidence among those in Gainesville that the rule could scrapped or at least eased up in some fashion that would allow the Gators and other SEC teams additional opportunities to be eligible for transfers. Sources have told us Florida is indeed Zaire's preferred school right now and that would make sense. Florida is the kind of major program he's always been looking for. The Gators' quarterback situation is probably more of a mess coming out of spring, where nobody distinguished themselves in a positive way, than it was coming into spring, virtually assuring Zaire he would walk into the role of starter. And Florida is in the midst of tinkering with its offense to use the quarterback more in the running game, which would obviously fit Zaire's style. HOOPS RECRUITING UPDATE: As we said in this space earlier this month, the Notre Dame men's basketball staff will be getting on the road to scout prospects in the Class of 2018 and beyond in the coming weeks. The combination of getting head coach Mike Brey on the board and the opportunity to see many of the current targets go head to head in showcase sneaker events should result in a significant narrowing of Notre Dame's board as the Irish determine which prospects deserve the most attention. We're told Notre Dame's meeting last Friday with UConn transfer Juwan Durham went well and the Irish are hopeful he'll make it to South Bend in the coming weeks for a visit. While the Irish could end up landing a point guard on the transfer wire, it seems more likely they'll need to sign one in the upcoming 2018 class. Current starting point guard Matt Farrell will be gone after next season and while TJ Gibbs is a promising young player waiting to take over full time, now is the time to start looking for the next young guard to take over when Gibbs departs, which is pretty much in line with the Irish's cycle in years past. Look for Notre Dame to go after some of the top 2018 point guards in the country, including Tennessee five-star Darius Garland and Prentiss Hubb, a high four-star out of Washington, D.C., who recently included Notre Dame in his top six. The Irish also have several other top perimeter targets on their list. New Jersey shooting guard Luther Muhammad has been on the board for a while. Many expect him to stay out East, but Muhammad tells us he's planning to be in South Bend at the end of the month for an unofficial visit, which we mentioned in this space last week. Pennsylvania shooting guard Robby Carmody, New Jersey guard Jalen Carey, Massachusetts guard Cormac Ryan and Texas wing Gerald Liddell are all top targets and players the Irish have varying chances of landing. In the frontcourt, Wisconsin's Joey Hauser and Vermont Academy's Simi ****tu are receiving much of the early attention, but keep an eye on guys like Ohio's Pete Nance and Marcus Bingham of Michigan. As we mentioned, it's important for Brey to get out and see these players in person in order for the Irish to get a firm determination of their board, but if somebody is coming on a visit, they would sacrifice having the head man on the road for hosting top targets. In addition to Muhammad, a potential transfer could want to get on campus this month, something Ben Hansbrough did years back, and that would be worth pulling Brey off the road. Also, as we mentioned before, Notre Dame could try to dip back into the Class of 2017 and there's a chance somebody in that class would want to visit South Bend in the coming weeks before making a decision, something Farrell did during his process. Or Notre Dame could feel it's close to closing with a top 2018 target and look to have Brey get that wrapped up quickly the way the Irish did with Gibbs during his process.