Del Alexander Notebook
Notre Dame wide receivers coach Del Alexander recapped one of the nation's best receiver classes and also explained what he's looking for in a prospect.
On signee Lawrence Keys:
“You’re looking for the traits we talk about. After visiting him and his coaches, you recognize he has a lot of grit. He’s a playmaker, and he’s different in a lot of ways on and off the field.
“He’s his own person, and I think he wants to be different than some of the people or environment that you see there.”
On balance of receiver class:
“That’s the goal. Year in and year out, you want to make sure you bring in different skill sets and not be one dimensional. We have quickness, speed, and size. We have a little bit of everything, and that’s what you should have each year.”
On receiver Chase Claypool:
“I don’t know where he is right now. I know he’s rehabbing and everything is coming along fine.”
On signee Micah Jones:
“He’s here now and running around. He’s doing well in the weight room and getting some good attention there. When we’re doing conditioning or weight training, he doesn’t seem to be a freshman. He’s standing up and being just as productive as the guys around him.”
On signee Kevin Austin Jr.:
“One of the bigger fish in terms of publicity. We talk on a regular basis. The guys that signed in December have already started watching video and getting a dose of what we’re doing here. Kevin and I have developed a relationship and communicating on the little things that will help him hit the ground running.”
On signee Braden Lenzy:
“I was there with Braden on Sunday. I spent time with him and his family one last time. He’s just a spark plug. He has a wealth of knowledge of everything sports. He’s really intelligent outside of sports.
“It was great listening to him, and his dad argue back and forth about current and past players of their favorite teams.
“He’s a gym rat, and he wants to be really good as a football player, but he also wants everything Notre Dame has to offer off the field.”
More on signee Lawrence Keys III:
“He was raised by his mom. His mom graduated this past fall. She’s been his role model. I think because of her guidance, he’s been able to be different and he’s someone that can come from Louisiana to Notre Dame and have a tremendous amount of success in the classroom and on the field.”
On coaching at Notre Dame versus other stops:
“There are a lot of differences. Having been at a rival school, I see the differences clearly. Just speaking in terms of recruiting and the mentality and the player you want to bring here. We want to go after the best players in the country, but at the same time, there are unique qualities the young man must possess to succeed here.
“You have to sit down and develop a relationship beyond football. You have to sit down and see if the young man is forward thinking about his future in the classroom and in the community. Some places it’s not like that. It’s just about football and the NFL opportunity. This place is way more than that. You have to figure out how much substance a family and kid has to know he’s going to have success and be comfortable here.”
On recruiting against USC after coaching there:
“I haven’t been asked that yet. They know where I’ve been and that’s an advantage to me. I know both sides. Both schools play at a high level, and the expectations are similar, but at the same time, I just use my experience from a number of different places.”