Coach | 2023 Notre Dame S Target King Mack "A Joy" To Be Around

After receiving an offer from Notre Dame back in March, King Mack‍ told Irish Sports Daily he couldn’t stop smiling.

Now, St. Thomas Aquinas cornerbacks coach James Allen tells ISD that the 2023 Florida safety prospect never stops smiling.

“King is a joy to be around,” Allen says. “He just doesn't stop smiling. He's a joy to coach.”

Still, Allen is quick to confirm Mack’s interest in Notre Dame should be considered very serious.

“He's excited about Notre Dame,” the coach says. “He's strongly considering Notre Dame.”

Mack may not have an official Top 5, but if he did the Irish would be in it, according to Allen.

“It's the relationships,” the coach says of Mack’s interest in Notre Dame. “At St. Thomas, we don't just coach. Coach (Roger) Harriott puts a system in place where we're an extension of their fathers, mothers or whoever.

“We take that mentorship to heart. We're here to make those young men better men, so when they grow up, they know how to take care of their family. They know how to respect women and they know how to respect other people. They know how to make sure that they're doing what they have to do.”

Allen says the players in the St. Thomas Aquinas program also take that mentorship to heart.

“A lot of our guys go to school with people they have great relationships with,” he continues. “A coach can offer a kid and the kid can be grateful, but it's that relationship that stands out.

“Every time I talk to King and ask him about what's going on, he says, 'Man, Notre Dame hits me up all the time. I just want to go up there so I can feel the vibe.'”

Mack is expected to get that later this month for the Irish’s BBQ on July 27th.

Allen says Mack talks to the Irish coaches “every chance he gets” and that visit could have a major impact on Mack’s recruiting process.

“We teach our guys to make it a family decision and pray it over,” Allen says. “He said, 'Coach I feel great about them.' He just wants to make sure his family feels the same way and he wants to get up there.”

Current Irish linebacker Drew White is a St. Thomas Aquinas grad and he’s relayed his positive experiences in South Bend to those back home, including Mack.

“King loves the coaching staff and how things are working out,” says Allen.

Mack clocked in at 48 seconds in the 400 meters on the track this year, making him one of the nation’s fastest prospects – “He's like a gazelle, he can cover ground,” Allen says.

“Athletically, I don't want to say freak of nature just yet, to toot his horn, but he uses his God-gifted abilities and he use them the right way and he's always trying to find a way to use them even more,” the coach says. “He's fast, he's physical, he's smart.

“He's going to work hard. King is a workaholic. He always wants to fix something. He always wants to know how he can get better…He calls me on weekends and says, 'Come on Coach, let's go get some extra work.' Or 'Let's go to the hill, let's do this and that.' And he knows I'm there.”

There’s no shortage of physically talented players in South Florida.

“You're always going to get kids with physical abilities,” says Allen. “It's that football IQ, that want-to, that drive that makes them stand out.

“There's so much I can say about him…Other than his athletic abilities, he has so much to offer just as a person, as a young man.”