Elite 2023 OL Kadyn Proctor: 'The atmosphere was nuts'
2023 Southeast Polk (Iowa) offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor made his first trip to Notre Dame over the summer and didn't know what to expect from the Irish program.
The 6-foot-7, 330-pounder left South Bend sky high on Notre Dame and returned to see the Fighting Irish beat USC over the weekend.
"It went great and I was able to take some of my family to experience it," Proctor told ISD. "I had a great time at Notre Dame.
"It was going crazy with Notre Dame playing a good team at home. The atmosphere was nuts."
Proctor, a composite five-star, wanted to pay close attention to Jeff Quinn's offensive line on Saturday night as he couldn't get that experience in June.
Notre Dame ran for 170 yards and it left a good impression on the Iowa native.
"I could see myself fitting into the offense because, as we saw, Notre Dame runs a lot and that's one of my favorite things to do," said Proctor. "I love when the team can get behind the offensive line and run. We saw that with Kyren Williams having a great game and he got the game ball too. It was a great one to see."
The Southeast Polk star has also been paying attention to Notre Dame throughout the year as he knew the Irish had started two true freshmen on the offensive line this year.
"I have seen that and that's crazy," stated Proctor. "Not many coaches will do that because they want someone experienced. They're obviously doing what they need to do to start as a freshman and Notre Dame is having great offensive line success."
Following the win, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and Quinn were feeling good and shot their shot at the top lineman in 2023.
"After the game, they came up to me and asked if I was ready to commit and I could do it on the spot," laughed Proctor. I told them I had to wait, but I saw Coach Kelly talk to the team and hear Coach Quinn talk. It was a great experience."
Proctor was also able to catch up with his hosts from his summer visit and some of the other offensive players.
"I got to see Blake (Fisher), Rocco (Spindler) and all the offensive line," Proctor stated. "I even got to talk to some of the quarterbacks too."
The big recruiting weekend also allowed Proctor to catch up with friends and meet other top guys he had yet to meet, including one of Notre Dame's top 2022 targets.
"I hadn't met Aamil Wagner before and I got to sit next to him all game," recalled Proctor. "We chopped it up. We were talking about the game.
"I got to see some of the guys who I've seen on the internet. It was good to meet up with them."
While the conversations weren't super in-depth, Proctor appreciates opportunities like Saturday as he gained knowledge for his recruitment and shared his experiences with others.
"It's good to talk to them, even the guys older than me because they're getting close to ending their recruitment," Proctor explained. "They understand what I'm going through and they can give me feedback. I can fill my brain up with the stuff I need to and even provide that for the younger guys too."
As for his recruitment, Proctor is focused on winning a State Title and recruiting will take a backseat for the next few weeks.
"This week is the first round of playoffs, so practice is going to be a little tougher," said Proctor. "We have to focus on that and school. After we win a State Championship, I'm manifesting it right now, we'll see how it goes from there, but I'll probably narrow it down a little bit."
Top 12: Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Iowa State, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M.
Ranking
ISD: 95 (four-star)
247: 94 (four-star)
Rivals: 6.1 (five-star)
Composite: 99.76 (five-star)
Junior Highlights