Top 2023 SS Cam Kozeal Goes In-Depth on Notre Dame Official Visit
Notre Dame football wasn't the only sport hosting big-time recruits over the weekend as Link Jarrett had one of the hottest names on the recruiting trail on campus.
2023 Millard South (Neb.) shortstop Cam Kozeal made his way to South Bend for an official visit and even got to watch the Irish scrimmage Toledo on Friday night.
"I thought it went pretty well," Kozeal told ISD. "The scrimmage on Friday was awesome to see and seeing people in the stands was cool. I know they talked about not having people be at games from COVID, so everyone was pretty excited about that. It was a cool atmosphere.
"The football game, even though they didn't end up winning, was really cool. I got to stand on the sidelines for a little bit and talk to other recruits from other sports. I saw why they liked Notre Dame and bounced ideas off them about the experiences we had over the weekend."
Kozeal was able to see he fit the Notre Dame profile as he spent time around the members of the current roster.
"The message to me was if you want to have a great education and compete at the highest level of baseball, then Notre Dame is the place for you," Kozeal said of the message from the players. "With me being Catholic and being part of a Catholic family, Notre Dame is Notre Dame.
"They told me if that's you, then Notre Dame is a great place to be."
At the scrimmage, the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder was to get some time with Jarrett and see how the Irish staff manages a game.
"I definitely got a feel for coaching styles and Coach Jarrett came over and talked to me when we were by the third base side," explained Kozeal. "He talked about their guys and how excited he was for me to be there.
"It was good to see them in action and compare them to other schools and to see how they ran things during a game. It was cool to see them play against another team, how they compete and how their energy was brought to the table."
On Saturday morning, Kozeal spent more time with Jarrett and fellow 2023 infielder Drayk Bowen.
Jarrett was able to explain what he wants from his infielders along with some of his philosophies.
"He showed us around the facilities a little bit after a presentation," stated Kozeal. "He gave us an infield talk, which I really enjoyed. Me and my dad like watching and listening to ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) talks. He put on a little ABCA talk and I really enjoyed it.
"He spoke about their infield philosophy and how they run things is a lot of what I do. They were speaking my language from pre-step to how to attack baseballs and their throwing program and errors made on throwing. I really enjoyed that."
Kozeal and Notre Dame are in similar situations. The Irish are fresh off a run to the Super Regionals, while the Millard South star was named MVP of the 2021 PBR Future Games over the summer.
Development is important to Kozeal, but playing for a winning program is also high on his list.
"My main thing through this whole recruiting process is to be part of a winning culture," Kozeal explained. "I love to win and winning is what's best for the team. When you're winning, everyone is happy and it's a great place to be.
"I definitely take how teams are playing and teams that are projecting to win more. You don't want to be like Nebraska football in the past and then you're not really doing anything now. You can't look to your past to rely on your future."
Notre Dame will have some stiff competition for Kozeal's signature as he took officials to Arkansas, North Carolina, Oregon State and Vanderbilt.
Kozeal isn't rushing into a commitment, but a decision is likely coming sooner than later.
"For me, I'm looking at the end of the fall," said Kozeal. “There isn't a hardcore deadline. When I feel comfortable, I'll feel comfortable and make a decision, but I'm thinking the end of the fall."