Irish notes: Relationships keyed transition, Burnham's versatility and Manti's FaceTime

Things could have gotten dramatic, and absolutely got a bit hectic for Steve Angeli, among other Notre Dame recruits, when Brian Kelly departed the Fighting Irish for the LSU head coaching job.

But the steady Angeli, whose prospect stock soared throughout his senior campaign, leaned on relationships – specifically his with Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees – to maintain his Irish commitment.

“Just to be able to stay solid throughout the whole process and knowing what Coach Rees has been telling me, and still his message to me was Notre Dame is still Notre Dame,” said Angeli, a midyear enrollee who met Friday with media. “The school is not going anywhere, the people make Notre Dame, Notre Dame. Just talking to him about everything and staying calm throughout the process and letting things play out.

“Everything ended up working the way we’d all like it.”

Angeli said his time spent with Freeman as the process unfolded also became a reassurance for both Angeli and his family.

“Getting to spend time with Coach Freeman when I came up on my second official visit was really just great,” Angeli said. “Getting to know him on a more personal level, because I didn’t spend much time with him on the defensive side of the ball. I was so happy he got named head coach and being able to spend time with him and having him spend time with my family just really solidified what everybody thought about him and same thing for me.”

That Rees kept an direct line of communication with Angeli fully cemented his decision.

“It definitely (helped) a lot. I have a lot of trust in him,” Angeli said, “and we have a great relationship; a lot of open dialogue. There really was no keeping stuff back. Asking what I wanted to ask and him giving me answers.

“Really credit to (Rees) for keeping everything level with me on the offensive side of the ball and everybody else just trying to stay calm throughout the whole process.”

VERSATILE BURNHAM

Josh Burnham arrived last month at Notre Dame fresh off a prep career that culminated with U.S. Army All-American honors and consensus four-star, top-100 status.

In his first few weeks of early-morning workouts with the Irish, Burnham’s noticed a consistent presence in the weight room – even before the players begin their lifts: Marcus Freeman.

“We’ll walk in and he’s already in there putting in his work,” Burnham said of Freeman. “He’ll still be like doing his own side thing when we’re in there working out. Just being able to see him just makes you feel good about yourself. …

“To get a good feel of how you do things around here, just like seeing him working and everything, it’s a good feeling.”

The 6-foot-4, 214-pound Burnham says, “I’ve been told I could play any of the linebacker positions.”

But a particularly intriguing point in Freeman’s defense is the Vyper position. Burnham’s already learning a bit more about the hybrid spot.

“Vyper is a possibility,” Burnham said. “I was talking to one of the guys today (Justin Ademilola) that was playing it, he said he really enjoyed it because he could either be coming and rushing off the edge or be back in position.

“I think I would really enjoy that and think I could do fairly well at it.”

While Burnham expects to see his position assignment progress through spring camp, he’s waiting like others on the Irish’s next defensive coordinator.

But having been recruited for several years before his arrival, and first getting to know Clark Lea and then Freeman, Burnham isn’t worried about the next defensive play-caller.

“Obviously you want to play for somebody who just makes you feel good, like Coach Freeman,” he said. “I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to bring in the right guy. I mean, it’s Notre Dame. He’s going to bring in the right guy for the job, no matter who it is I’m going to be super-excited to be working with him.”

And much as Angeli leaned on Rees, Burnham has leaned on Notre Dame senior defensive analyst Nick Lezynski.

“He’s been here every step of the way,” Burnham said of Lezynski. “I remember when I was first offered, we were on the phone just talking. I remember our relationship growing. It feels like each day, it’s just gotten better. We’ll be on FaceTime calls with him, we’ll see his family, he’ll see mine. Just knowing that all the coaches around here care so much about each and every one of us.”

Lezynski’s steady presence is a comfort for Burnham.

“It’s definitely huge. Three defensive coordinators now just going in and out, but just knowing that he’s still be here this whole time and we still had like a super-solid connection and everything,” Burnham said. “I haven’t worried about it all, just knowing that they were going to bring the right guy in. It’s been awesome to know that you have somebody here like (Nick).”

MANTI’S IMPACT

As Junior Tuihalamaka was going through the recruiting process, he was hosted initially by Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and got a quick feel for the family vibe from his fellow Polynesian.

But it was a couple of FaceTime calls with former Irish All-American linebacker Manti Teo that had Tuihalamaka most hyped.

“I got to FaceTime with Manti a couple of times,” Tuihalamaka said. “Coach (Brian) Polian [helped get Teo on the phone] on my first official visit when I was here.

“I was actually in shock. Like, ‘Whoa, this is Manti.’ I got to talk to him and he was just everything, down to earth.”