Recruiting Week In Review
Written by Joe Bradshaw
When I started writing this review almost 13 years ago, I sent an audition piece to Mike Frank in which I theorized that the hiring of Charlie Weis presaged Notre Dame’s return to glory. I’m not at all sure that I’m a good writer but I’m certain that I’m a bad prognosticator. And after last night’s game, perhaps I should just stick to reviewing the outstanding work of Mike’s writers and leave the predictions up to the experts. That would be the smart thing to do but I don’t always do the smart thing.
Last week, Irish Sports Daily reported on two prospects in the Class of 2021 and they certainly said all the right things. What have you been missing by not being a member of Irish Sports Daily?
Rocco Spindler, OL, 6-4, 270, Clarkston High School, Clarkston, MI recently visited South Bend to “refresh” his memory on what it’s like to be on Notre Dame’s campus. This trip, though, was less about sightseeing and more about people meeting.
“I’m starting to build relationships with Coach (Jeff) Quinn, Coach (Brian) Kelly and Todd Lyght and all of the recruits,” Spindler shared.
The four-star recruit spent about an hour with Quinn, watching film and learning more about the Irish O-line coach and his philosophy.
“We watched film on the guys he’s coached and trained when they got to Notre Dame and other players he’s had in the past,” Spindler recalled. “He had some tremendous guys like Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey. We watched Quenton Nelson’s film with my film side by side playing at the same time. He said he sees similar traits between me and him. He said ‘You’re going to be the next Quenton Nelson, but more importantly, the first Rocco Spindler.’”
Spindler spent even more time with the recruits that were on campus.
“Blake Fisher is a heckuva ball player and Gabriel Rubio and Tosh Baker,” he said. “Going up that weekend, I got to really know them and understand who they are as people. Those could be the guys I’m playing with, so I definitely want to make a connection now.”
Fisher, one of Notre Dame’s most aggressive recruit recruiters in recent memory was all over Spindler.
“He was just telling me this was the place for me to be,” he shared. “Coach Quinn is definitely on those guys. They’ve got to do their jobs now before they get to Notre Dame and try to get other recruits to come. Blake was really emphasizing how great this place was and why he chose to come there and why it’d be a great fit for me.”
Spindler plans to attend the Notre Dame-Michigan game, though as a Wolverine recruit, not an Irish one. He doesn’t think he’ll make it back to South Bend this season.
“I’ll definitely try to make a spring practice or something in the offseason and possibly start to narrow down my list and see who’s in my top five when I start taking my official visits,” he explained. “Now I’m starting to think who’s producing the best offensive linemen to the NFL and who’s really helping them after college. Sooner or later the game is going to end, so who is going to take care of me at the end of the day.”
Like Spindler, Deamikkio Nathan, WR, 6-0, 175, South Grand Prairie High School, Grand Prairie, TX made his second trip to Notre Dame for the USC game. And like Spindler who plans to return in the spring, he would also like to make it to South Bend again.
“I got to see the atmosphere of the football stadium,” he said. “I also got to talk with the receivers’ coach. The atmosphere was amazing. I’d never seen an atmosphere so exciting.”
Nathan and Notre Dame wide receiver coach Del Alexander had a conversation about making plays.
“He wanted to see if I’m an all-around player and playmaker,” Nathan remembered. “He wanted to see if I could make a move on a DB and break off and score a touchdown. I was impressed because the first thing he talked about the body language. Most receiver coaches don’t ask you about things like that and get straight to the point.”
Nathan currently holds scholarship offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech, BYU, Utah and the Irish are clearly interested, interested enough to have invited him to campus twice.
“I like how the coaching staff works with you and how they coach you up,” he said. “That’s really impressive and also how they take education seriously.”
He’s considering trips to Texas, Texas A&M, Utah, Oklahoma State and, hopefully, South Bend.
These two summaries represent just a sample of the Notre Dame football recruiting information available each week on Irish Sports Daily.