Charlie Partridge Makes Strong Impression on Top 2028 DL Zylen Little
2028 Carrollwood Day (Fla.) defensive lineman Zylen Little added an offer from Notre Dame in May and immediately stated he wanted to make the trip to South Bend.
The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder followed through on that plan earlier this month, attending camp and was able to work closely with Notre Dame defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.
In the weeks since receiving the offer, Little's relationship with Partridge has continued to grow.
“It's been going great,” Little told ISD. “He texts me a lot. We text each other back and forth. I'm getting to know him outside of football. I was able to go up there and train with him. We're just working on building this relationship.”
The opportunity to work directly with Partridge left a lasting impression. Not only did Little add new techniques to his game, but he also got a firsthand look at the coaching style he'd experience if he chose Notre Dame.
“I took a lot from Coach Partidge,” explained Little. “He gave me a lot of new stuff that I didn't know about and I added to my game. I got to show him some of my skills and showcase my skill set. He's a very detailed coach. He knows what he's talking about. When you make a mistake, he knows what you need to do to fix that mistake. He's very detailed when he's coaching.
“When I was able to watch them practice, you could tell the same thing. When we went to the camp, I was able to see firsthand how detailed a coach he is.”
Little isn't rushing his recruitment, but getting hands-on instruction from college coaches has become an important part of evaluating his options.
“That definitely helped me being able to get work and live action in,” Little said. “It helps because that’s a coach I could be playing for the next 3-5 years. Being able to get taught by him, that was great in helping me get close to this decision. Notre Dame definitely went up the scale after I was able to work with him.”
Before visiting, Little had heard about Notre Dame, but after spending time on campus, it’s clear the Fighting Irish made an even stronger impression.
“I feel very comfortable there,” stated Little. “Everybody seems down-to-earth. Everyone's great, the staff, the coaches. Everybody just seems like great people and I really do like it up there.”
With over 40 offers, Little has started to take some schools more seriously than others, as he was also at Auburn, Florida and Georgia Tech this summer.
While he hasn't set a commitment date, the Florida standout believes his recruitment could move quickly once his junior season comes to an end.
“I wouldn't be surprised if I commit right around the end of the season,” Little stated. “I wouldn't be surprised.”
As for whether he’ll return to Notre Dame in the fall, Little hopes to return to South Bend for a game.
“My parents and I were talking about getting back up there for a game,” said Little. “That's definitely a game we want to go see in live action.”
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