Notre Dame Remains In Race For Top 2022 WR Target

Lance Clelland doesn’t claim much credit for Andre Greene Jr.‍, at least not when it comes to the 2022 Virginia wide receiver’s physical attributes.

“The biggest thing that stands out for him is that he some intangibles that you can’t teach as a coach,” says Clelland, head coach of St. Christopher’s School in Richmond. “That goes for his size and strength.

“He’s a big receiver already. As a junior, he’s 6-foot-3, 180, 185 pounds, so he’s a big-framed kid who is only get bigger and stronger. The way he’s able to attack the ball in the air, he has uncommon hand strength. I’m telling you right now, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid this age who can really pluck the ball out of the air whenever he wants.

“Those things are very rare and a lot of times, those aren’t things you can coach. You can’t coach size and I don’t believe you can teach that kind of hand-eye coordination.”

College coaches have taken note.

Greene’s offer sheet currently includes schools like Notre Dame, LSU, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon and USC among several others.

It’s still very early in the process for Greene, but Clelland says the Irish certainly have his attention.

“I think Notre Dame stands out,” the coach says. “He and his father and mother have a definite checklist in terms of going to great school, going to a great program, going to a place where he can develop both personally, but also athletically and academically. Obviously, Notre Dame checks all of those boxes.

“He’s already started to develop a great relationship with their coaches. I think that’s the other piece to the puzzle that Notre Dame has done a good job of. He’s definitely excited about Notre Dame.”

Obviously, the recruiting process is a challenge for everybody with a months-long dead period in place because of COVID-19 concerns.

“It’s tough right now to be very blunt,” Clelland says. “Nobody anywhere has ever dealt with this kind of thing, especially with the dead period being extended so long. I think the best thing you can do right now is focus on things you can control.

“For Dre and his family, that’s obviously him becoming the best version of himself in the classroom, the best version of himself on the field.”

Clelland is convinced college coaches will be even more impressed with Greene once they get to know him even better.

“He’s terrific. He’s got a big smile. He’s got a great personality. He’s improving every day as a worker and as a receiver and understanding what we need to do to get better. He’s working hard in the classroom, that’s important to him. He’s a great teammate and a fantastic young guy to be around.”