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Notre Dame Football Recruiting

2021 OL Pat Coogan Appreciates Interest, Honesty From Notre Dame

January 23, 2020
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Trust isn’t easy to form during the recruiting process, but honesty is the best way to earn it and that’s the approach the Notre Dame staff tends to take.

It’s certainly the path the Irish are taking with 2021 Chicago offensive lineman Pat Coogan‍.

On Tuesday, Notre Dame offensive line coach Jeff Quinn was at Marist High School bright and early to check on the 6-foot-5, 295-pounder.

“He came at 5:45 for our morning workout,” Coogan said of Quinn. “We didn’t get to talk that much because I was working out the whole time. I did some drills at the end for him, so that was good.”

Later on in the day, Coogan was visited by another Irish assistant, when new offensive coordinator Tom Rees showed up at the school.

Coogan currently has scholarship offers from schools like Michigan State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Stanford, Duke, Oklahoma State and West Virginia among others.

He does not currently have an offer from Notre Dame, which is where the honesty and trust come in.

Rees “threw everything on the table for me with my recruitment and Notre Dame,” Coogan said.

“He basically said to keep being patient and that I’m like number three on their board of prospects for interior offensive linemen,” said Coogan, who is aware of the other prospects higher on the board. “Those are good players. He said they’re only taking four offensive linemen, so how their recruitments turn out will kind of dictate my recruitment.

“He said if they start to fade away from Notre Dame or commit somewhere else, he basically said that position is mine. He told me to keep being patient and just to trust the process with them.”

It’s probably not exactly what a prospect who is a lifelong Notre Dame fan would want to hear, but Coogan is mature enough to understand recruiting is a business and appreciates being told the truth over the alternative.

“That means a lot to me, especially throughout the process, a lot of people aren’t straight-up like Coach Rees was with me, so I really respect that about him,” Coogan said. “I really respect his honesty and I’d rather hear that from him than just playing that along.

“It’s good to see everything play out and know all of the information.”

He doesn’t sound discouraged in the least.

“I’m still obviously going to be very involved in my own recruitment and as other schools keep coming in during this open period, I’m going to get some visits set up and keep talking to other schools,” said Coogan, who is already eyeing trips to Michigan State, Duke and Stanford.

“But I’m always going to have Notre Dame in mind.”

And what would it mean if the Irish did come through with an offer in the end?

“It would really be a dream come true. I’ve been a Notre Dame fan since I was born and I’ve been going to games since I was born, so it would be a dream come true.”

 
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