Notre Dame has managed to maintain Chris Whitehead’s attention since offering the 2027 Virginia edge defender back in March.
The Irish got Whitehead to South Bend for an unofficial visit a month after offering and they’ll get him back again for the USC game in October.
“I think it's going to be great,” Whitehead told Irish Sports Daily. “It's supposed to be a night game. I know those teams are rivals, so it's going to be a real good game.”
The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder has been keeping in contact with head coach Marcus Freeman, defensive line coach Al Washington and defensive line assistant Nick Sebastian.
“It's been pretty good,” he says.
The L.C. Bird High School standout had the chance to hop on a call with Freeman recently.
“He was showing me some videos of what they've been doing at practice and stuff and then I told him I was coming down,” Whitehead says. “It's a blessing man. To be able to be in the position right now to go see a game and just talk to Coach Freeman, man, it's a blessing.
“He's a real laid back guy, but when he speaks to you, you can feel it. When he's serious, you know when he's serious. But he's real chill. He's real cool.”
Whitehead also appreciates the chats he has with Washington and Sebastian.
“Both of those guys, they're very energetic and they are both good guys,” he says. “Me building a relationship with him and talking to them and me being on the phone with Coach Seabass, man, it puts them in a good spot.”
Whitehead’s interest in the Irish goes beyond the coaching staff though.
“It's more just a different environment and culture, me coming to that practice and seeing how intense it was,” he says of his visit back in April. “They were doing a whole lot of banging, a whole lot of flying around and their player development too. I’m just coming back to keep building that relationship up.”
Whitehead’s offer sheet also includes schools like Georgia, Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest among others.
He has a couple other trips coming up after attending the season-opening showdown between Ohio State and Texas this weekend.
“I go to the Georgia and Tennessee game on the 13th,” he says. “I'll probably go to the Miami game when they play Florida.”
Whitehead isn’t sure when he’ll narrow his list down, but does know what will matter most to him.
“Having a good education because football is not promised and everything.”
Coaching staff stability and player development will also be key to Whitehead’s decision.
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