Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman Leaves Impression on 2023 DE Luke Montgomery

Notre Dame has hit the recruiting trail hard over the last week and some of the top guys in the 2023 class had a chance to Zoom with defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman on Thursday. 

Findlay (Ohio) defensive end Luke Montgomery‍ and his family were able to chat with Freeman and the conversation left a lasting impression on the four-star prospect as it was about thinking bigger than football. 

"He just spoke about how he got to Notre Dame and why he went there," Montgomery told ISD. "Notre Dame is super special and he wanted his kids to have the opportunity to play football, but after the football, to get an opportunity in life. Football is only a small portion of years in life. 

"That was a huge focus for him and his family. Notre Dame is a special spot for him and I agree with him." 

The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder has built a strong relationship with Mike Elston and Freeman over the last few months and their message hits home. Both coaches were in Montomgery's shoes as top prospects from Ohio with chances to play in-state and out of state.

"It does resonate," Montgomery said of Freeman's message. "He speaks highly of Ohio State because he played there, but at the end of the day, he's a coach at Notre Dame. Over the past four months, he's said it's been really special at Notre Dame. 

"I think he's done a really good job so far and he's only going to go up."

Ohio State has ramped things up over the last few months and Montgomery has enjoyed getting to know the Buckeyes offensive staff as they project him as an offensive lineman. 

"I talk to them about every week as well," stated Montgomery. "I talk to Coach (Greg) Stud, Coach (Kevin) Wilson, Coach (Ryan) Day and Coach (Tim) Hinton." 

Notre Dame is one of the few outliers in Montgomery's recruitment as they see him as a defensive lineman. 

"I would say most schools have mentioned offensive line," Montgomery explained. "I think Michigan State, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech are recruiting for the defensive line and a couple other schools have mentioned they'll let me play defense if I wanted to. 

"I like playing both ways. I don't really have a preference. I like defensive end, but I just want to be able to go out and play. I think blocking and killing the quarterback is always fun." 

Montgomery has nine more days of school and then he'll start a wild month of visits that would make any prospect jealous. 

It's an ambitious schedule that will likely have his father known by name at the local oil change spot, but it's also an excellent opportunity to find out what he wants in a future program. 

"I think Ohio State is going to be June 1st," Montgomery said. "Tennessee will be June 11th. Georgia will either be on June 12th or 13th. Alabama and Clemson are in there as well. I might get to LSU. Oklahoma will be June 19th and Notre Dame will be June 22nd. The last week is open, but I think we will go to Michigan and Michigan State. I'll go back to Penn State in late July. 

"We're going to be traveling a decent amount." 

Montgomery isn't a kid seeking offers to have them, but he'll also admit there are two offers he'd love to earn. 

"People always want Alabama and Clemson and that would be a true blessing," said Montgomery. "Those are two I'd say I want to earn, but right now, the offers I have are perfect. 

"I feel like I already have too much on my hands. It's a blessing and if those two schools come in, it'll make it even harder."