Notre Dame Football Recruiting
Bauer Enjoying Success in 2016
December 21, 2016
4,811
On Tuesday, Pennsylvania released its All-State football teams and Notre Dame’s commits had a great showing, as linebacker Matthew ‘Bo’ Bauer, quarterback Phil Jurkovec, offensive lineman Josh Lugg, defensive lineman Kurt Hinish and linebacker David Adams were all named with the honor.
For Bauer, it was the second time he has been named All-State and appreciated the distinction.
“It’s nice to have the people around decide that honor for me,” 6-foot-3, 215-pounder told Irish Sports Daily. “Having it last year, I was hoping for it again.”
The four-star linebacker was also excited to know the best in his state will join him in South Bend over the next few years.
“I feel like Pennsylvania is a pretty good football state,” stated Bauer. “Everyone talks about Texas, Florida and California, but I still feel Pennsylvania is a really good state for football.
“Some of the best players in the state have decided on the same school as me. It’s a great feeling to have people from my state at Notre Dame and it doesn’t hurt they are the best ones from Pennsylvania either. They are all good people too.”
The All-State selection wasn’t the only big thing for Bauer in 2016. He helped his Cathedral Prep team to a perfect 14-0 record, which included winning a State Championship earlier this month.
“That was the goal of high school for me, at least one of the big ones,” said Bauer. “When you accomplish that, it was surreal. Once you accomplish one of those big goals, it’s just like ‘Wow.’ It was quite amazing.”
Bauer is used to playing in big games, but admitted he still gets nervous before every game. However, the nerves didn’t impact his game much, as he had over 100 tackles and double-digit sacks in 2016.
“I get nervous before every game, so I might have been a little extra nervous, because I wanted it so bad,” Bauer said of the State Title game. “I didn’t want everything we had been through over the season to go to waste. I am glad the team performed and everyone did great.”
Bauer’s junior season provided him a chance to fine tune his game. Over the summer, he got a chance to see areas of his game that needed to improve and Bauer felt he did just that this fall.
“I needed to work on reading my linemen much better,” he explained. “I felt I got better. I am still not the greatest at pass drops, but I feel like I am getting better at those. I have a lot of improve on, but I feel like I improved on everything I needed to improve on at least a little bit this year.”
Notre Dame landed a commitment from Bauer on August 3rd and the Pennsylvania native hasn’t looked back, as he has got back to South Bend every chance he has got. Bauer is focused on building relationships with his 2018 recruiting class and he believes the Irish have something special brewing.
“They’re all great guys,” Bauer said of his fellow commits. “They all have their different personalities, but we are just friends. It’s not like that awkward recruiting relationship you have with some kids. It’s a real relationship, because we know we’re going to be together for the next few years. You’re really trying to build a relationship and I feel like they are honest and good people like I am.”
As for building the class, Bauer has his eye on one of the nation’s elite, 2018 five-star Texas athlete Joshua Moore. Bauer tweeted at Moore earlier this month to show him the love, but also to start to build a relationship and Bauer see’s a great fit.
“He’s a great guy and one of the few kids that respond to me,” said Bauer. “Some of the kids don’t respond. He stays super humble, which I really like. Some kids with his stature that are gifted and blessed, they aren’t really down to earth.
“I think he’d fit in really well at Notre Dame. He’s one of those humble kids we could use and that’s the type of kid I want to be around for the next four or five years. I want to see him go to a place where people actually care about you and get a great education.”
Bauer is one of the top linebackers in the country, so he has been keeping tabs on the defensive coordinator situation at Notre Dame with the hiring of Mike Elko being announced. The two had yet to speak, but Bauer thinks he might have met him on an early recruiting visit to Wake Forest.
“I am not sure if it was the same guy, but I visited Wake Forest and I talked to someone that looked similar to him,” said Bauer. “I don’t know if it was him or not, but that’s the only relationship I would even have with him at this point.
“I am sure I’ll meet him soon. I don’t have a visit planned, but I might make it this winter to see how everything changed. I am just enjoying the Christmas season.”
For Bauer, it was the second time he has been named All-State and appreciated the distinction.
“It’s nice to have the people around decide that honor for me,” 6-foot-3, 215-pounder told Irish Sports Daily. “Having it last year, I was hoping for it again.”
The four-star linebacker was also excited to know the best in his state will join him in South Bend over the next few years.
“I feel like Pennsylvania is a pretty good football state,” stated Bauer. “Everyone talks about Texas, Florida and California, but I still feel Pennsylvania is a really good state for football.
“Some of the best players in the state have decided on the same school as me. It’s a great feeling to have people from my state at Notre Dame and it doesn’t hurt they are the best ones from Pennsylvania either. They are all good people too.”
The All-State selection wasn’t the only big thing for Bauer in 2016. He helped his Cathedral Prep team to a perfect 14-0 record, which included winning a State Championship earlier this month.
“That was the goal of high school for me, at least one of the big ones,” said Bauer. “When you accomplish that, it was surreal. Once you accomplish one of those big goals, it’s just like ‘Wow.’ It was quite amazing.”
Bauer is used to playing in big games, but admitted he still gets nervous before every game. However, the nerves didn’t impact his game much, as he had over 100 tackles and double-digit sacks in 2016.
“I get nervous before every game, so I might have been a little extra nervous, because I wanted it so bad,” Bauer said of the State Title game. “I didn’t want everything we had been through over the season to go to waste. I am glad the team performed and everyone did great.”
Bauer’s junior season provided him a chance to fine tune his game. Over the summer, he got a chance to see areas of his game that needed to improve and Bauer felt he did just that this fall.
“I needed to work on reading my linemen much better,” he explained. “I felt I got better. I am still not the greatest at pass drops, but I feel like I am getting better at those. I have a lot of improve on, but I feel like I improved on everything I needed to improve on at least a little bit this year.”
Notre Dame landed a commitment from Bauer on August 3rd and the Pennsylvania native hasn’t looked back, as he has got back to South Bend every chance he has got. Bauer is focused on building relationships with his 2018 recruiting class and he believes the Irish have something special brewing.
“They’re all great guys,” Bauer said of his fellow commits. “They all have their different personalities, but we are just friends. It’s not like that awkward recruiting relationship you have with some kids. It’s a real relationship, because we know we’re going to be together for the next few years. You’re really trying to build a relationship and I feel like they are honest and good people like I am.”
As for building the class, Bauer has his eye on one of the nation’s elite, 2018 five-star Texas athlete Joshua Moore. Bauer tweeted at Moore earlier this month to show him the love, but also to start to build a relationship and Bauer see’s a great fit.
“He’s a great guy and one of the few kids that respond to me,” said Bauer. “Some of the kids don’t respond. He stays super humble, which I really like. Some kids with his stature that are gifted and blessed, they aren’t really down to earth.
“I think he’d fit in really well at Notre Dame. He’s one of those humble kids we could use and that’s the type of kid I want to be around for the next four or five years. I want to see him go to a place where people actually care about you and get a great education.”
Bauer is one of the top linebackers in the country, so he has been keeping tabs on the defensive coordinator situation at Notre Dame with the hiring of Mike Elko being announced. The two had yet to speak, but Bauer thinks he might have met him on an early recruiting visit to Wake Forest.
“I am not sure if it was the same guy, but I visited Wake Forest and I talked to someone that looked similar to him,” said Bauer. “I don’t know if it was him or not, but that’s the only relationship I would even have with him at this point.
“I am sure I’ll meet him soon. I don’t have a visit planned, but I might make it this winter to see how everything changed. I am just enjoying the Christmas season.”
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