OL Commit Sam Pendleton Hosts Notre Dame "Family"

Sam Pendleton‍ was thrilled to host Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand at his home in North Carolina on Friday.

“It was great,” the 2023 offensive line commit told Irish Sports Daily. “It’s always good to have conversations and be around those guys.”

Pendleton has been committed to the Irish since April and said the conversations weren’t all that much about football.

“It was being around my family and being part of the family there for a little bit and coming my way instead of me coming there,” he said. “It was really nice to have that personal touch.

“It solidifies that family aspect of Notre Dame. They care so much about you as a man and what you do with your life outside of football. Those conversations, especially when they’re in your own home, make it that much more special to me. It just makes me feel more welcome as a part of the Notre Dame family. Now it’s setting in that I’m no longer just a recruit or just a commit, I’m now a part of that family and that team almost.”

Almost will expire soon enough as Pendleton will report to South Bend as an early enrollee next month.

“I’m there in I think less than 25 days,” he said. “It’s a feeling like no other. It’s nerve-racking, but at the same time I’m so excited because I’m going to go play football and pursue my dreams.”

Pendleton made the decision to be an early enrollee long before Notre Dame was even on his radar.

“I really wanted to go and take full advantage of everything I could,” he explained. “That is going to give me an upperhand in the classroom when the season rolls around from a planning aspect.

“I’ve talked to so many college students and coaches and people who have gone through it and everyone preaches, ‘The skill you need the most is time management and figuring out a schedule and figuring out how to fit things in your day.’

“I feel like going in early, when the season is not going on and I’m not traveling everywhere – if I do get to travel – is going to give me a real upperhand with scheduling and figuring out my life there early when it’s not super stressful.”

And he knows it’ll help his early development on the field as well.

“It also gives me an upperhand with getting to learn the playbook and give me the opportunity to get in with (strength coach Matt) Balis and just give me that headstart of getting to be developed.”

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