Coach | 2024 Notre Dame DT Commit Sean Sevillano "Battle-Tested"

There isn’t just one thing that makes Dan Meyer confident about Sean Sevillano Jr.‍ being an impact player when the 2024 defensive tackle eventually suits up for Notre Dame.

“It's a few different things,” says Meyer, who is the recruiting coordinator at Clearwater Academy International in Florida.

“He's incredibly strong. He's got an incredible motor, but I think the biggest thing is just the work ethic, the focus, the commitment, the selflessness. He’s a kid who as a defensive tackle runs sprints after practice on his own, who we have to get on because he's trying to get extra lifts in on the weekends; like, ‘No, you need to let yourself recover.’”

Sevillano announced his commitment to Notre Dame in June, choosing the Irish over offers from schools like Ohio State, Auburn and Miami among others.

Meyer also points to the fact that Sevillano will still 17 years old when he arrives in South Bend in January, but is already “battle-tested.”

“We have a very good center,” says Meyer, who also coaches offensive line at CAI. “We have a very good offensive line historically and we play great competition.

“I think his mentality of, ‘Look, I'm the most dominant player on the field,’ and the work that he puts in to accomplish that is helping that become a reality.”

Of course, it helps to believe you’re the most dominant player on the field when you actually are the most dominant player on the field, which the 6-foot-2, 300-pounder typically is.

“I think he's got an ideal build for an interior defensive lineman,” Meyer continues. “He’s got a huge lower body, but he’s got a really developed upper body.

“You're talking about kid who's benching 350-plus, squatting 500, deadlifting 600. He lives in the weight room. He still has good length. He has a 6-5 plus wingspan.”

Sevillano also knows the game and his position, according to Meyer.

“He understands how to use his leverage, he's got a really quick first step and he is a very technical defensive lineman,” says Meyer. “He understands going into a rep, ‘This is the move I want to hit and if that doesn't work, I know what my secondary move is.’

“He's always thinking. He's not just a bullrush power guy. I think the fact that he's so smart allows him to utilize his physical gifts to the full potential.”

And, Meyer is convinced Notre Dame is a great fit for Sevillano, especially with Marcus Freeman, Al Golden and Al Washington on staff.

“He's a 4.0 student who comes from a family where education's very important,” says Meyer. “I think that part is what initially got him intrigued, but I think it's just the full picture of what they have to offer from the academic perspective, from the network perspective.

“Then you're talking about a Top 10 team in the country with people in place who are going to help him develop himself as a player. With Coach Freeman being a defensive guy with Coach Golden's experience as a head coach and being in the NFL and then Coach Washington, what he's been able to do. I think the structure is in place to help him realize his potential as a player.”

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