Claypool Ahead of Schedule

Notre Dame dove deep into the recruiting pool last year to find receiver Chase Claypool. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is a native of British Columbia and didn’t get a ton of recruiting attention early, but once he was on the radar, 13 schools ended up offering the former four-star prospect.

“My junior year I was trying to fill requirements to get into a Canadian university, because that’s where I thought I was going,” explained Claypool. “Playing D-1 didn’t even cross my mind, because I didn’t think it was possible for me.

“My brother talked to me and said he had a guy that could help me with recruiting. He sent my film out and that’s how I got my first offer. Once other schools saw it, they started offering me, but it never occurred to me that I could play D-1.”

Things worked out well for Claypool, as Notre Dame offered him in May of 2015 and he was committed less than two months later. However, he admits he didn’t know much about Notre Dame at the time.

“Before I got the offer, I wasn’t familiar with Notre Dame at all,” stated Claypool. “After Coach (Mike) Elston visited me at school, I asked my coach if Notre Dame was any good. He told me they were in the National Championship a few years ago and that sparked my interest.

“Then I obviously watched Rudy and that got me excited. It was on during my plane trip on my first visit to Notre Dame.”

The turning point in Claypool’s recruitment was a visit to South Bend for Irish Invasion in June and he knew it was the spot for him.

“I looked at Washington and Oregon, but growing up, my dad always stressed education,” he explained. “I think those schools didn’t interest me as much as a higher education school like Notre Dame. As soon as I got the offer, I knew I had to come see it and if I liked it, I knew I would be coming here.”  

Fast forward a year and Claypool was arriving at Notre Dame to play ‘American’ competition. The only time he played outside of Canada was for a 7-on-7 travel team and then at Nike’s The Opening in 2015, which was also a 7-on-7 environment for the most part and no contact, so there was an adjustment to a detailed game when he got to South Bend in June.

“There was a lot of adjustments and learning the playbook,” said Claypool. “We had practices without gear and just player practices. I had Corey Robinson helping me with all the signal calling and all of that. I got with Ian Book and got the signals down.

“It was a lot handling the signal-calling and the speed of the game. It just came along over time, but it learning the playbook was an adjustment. “

If you have watched Claypool’s senior highlights, then you know he was by far the superior athlete on the field and simply toyed with kids at times. When Claypool got to Notre Dame, he knew that was about to change.



“The speed of the game pushed me to another level and I knew I had to run fast every play,” he said of the adjustment to college. “I knew I couldn’t take a play off like you can in high school, because no one else is taking a play off.

“The coaches made it pretty easy to adjust. I thought it was going to be a lot harder and a rough transition, but the coaches and the older guys helped me out a lot.”

On the year, Claypool has caught five passes for 81 yards and has had one rush for nine yards. While he hasn’t had a ‘break out’ play, there have been two plays that have been very close to being signature moments early in his career.

The first was against Michigan State at the end of the half. Quarterback DeShone Kizer floated a beauty of a ball down the field as time expired and the hail mary glanced off of Claypool’s hands for an incompletion.

“It felt like it skimmed my finger tips,” recalled Claypool. “I was mad that if I was a foot ahead, I would have probably caught it. I saw a picture and it hit my hands. After the game seeing the picture was kind of frustrating. It would have been huge for me and the team. It is what it is, but I am happy I got a chance to go down and get it.”

The second play was against Stanford in the final moments of the game. Running back Josh Adams took a handoff, but Claypool looped around the end for what looked like to be an extremely well blocked reverse play. However, a play-side defender got just enough penetration for Adams to not be able to pitch the ball to Claypool, who would have likely walked into the end zone.

“It was a reverse,” Claypool said of the play. “It’s kind of like a read, the running back can keep it or pitch it out, but because there was pressure on his side, he couldn’t pitch it.

“It would have been a touchdown. It’s OK, because we’ll get one.”

While ‘almost’ doesn’t count, especially in a 4-7 season, Claypool remains positive about his situation and has achieved a lot in his first year at Notre Dame.

“I thought I was going to redshirt coming in, because I thought I would have to adjust being from Canada,” explained Claypool. “My brother had to adjust at a university in Canada. He said that speed adjustment was insane, so comparing that, I didn’t know if I could do it at Notre Dame. I thought it would take a little bit.”  

As he adjusts on offense, Claypool has almost been dominating on special teams. In addition to the receiving yards, the Canadian has 11 tackles on special teams this fall, which presents the question, where does he end up?

“Right now, I believe it’s at wide receiver,” stated Claypool. “Time will tell, but I think it’s at receiver. I am staying lean for now until they know. Right now they have me at receiver and that’s where I am staying for this season and spring ball.”

Senior captain James Onwualu played receiver his freshman year, but made the move to linebacker for the next three seasons. Onwualu made the most of the switch and has put himself in a position to be a late round draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Onwualu has noticed some similarities in Claypool and even casually mentioned coming to the ‘good side’.  

“After the first couple of weeks, I was eating dinner and he was joking around with me and said if I kept making plays on special teams I might get moved to defense,” laughed Claypool. “He said ‘We’d love to have you over here.’”

Whether he makes the move to defense or stays on offense, Claypool will absolutely be making plays and enjoying what he loves the most…hitting people.  

“I have been blocking on perimeter runs and I know if that’s what gets me in the game, then I have to be doing it every single time,” Claypool said. “I think that helps a lot. Just being able to be in the game and get a chance to hit someone is what I like to do.”