Sinclair Amazed By History And Culture At Notre Dame

2019 Sam Ramon Valley (Calif.) linebacker Tristan Sinclair‍ had set a Notre Dame visit before receiving an offer on March 5th. The fact the Irish did offer made last week’s visit even more significant for the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder. 

“The visit far exceeded my expectations,” Sinclair told Irish Sports Daily. “It was amazing to see the history and culture that is at Notre Dame.” 

It was important for the three-star prospect to experience what life would be like at Notre Dame, and the staff provided exactly what Sinclair was hoping to see.

“The highlights were meeting and talking to the players and meeting with Coach (Clark) Lea to talk about how he coaches,” stated Sinclair. 

The chance to meet with Lea and spend time with head coach Brian Kelly was critical, and both made a lasting impression on the California native. 

“Meeting those coaches was awesome,” Sinclair explained. “Both of them have so much knowledge and years of experience, and it was quite obvious when meeting with them.

“Their message was that Notre Dame is a special place and isn’t like anywhere else.” 

Sinclair got to spend quality time with Jack Lamb, Jordan Genmark Heath and Jalen Elliott. All three players made themselves approachable and allowed Sinclair to form a solid relationship over the visit. 

“I felt totally comfortable talking with the players,” said Sinclair. “They were really cool and totally honest with the questions I asked them. 

“I really connected with them and it was great because it’s clear Notre Dame recruits specific types of people who will fit well with each other.” 

The chance to see practice was also an essential piece of the visit for Sinclair. He was able to see the competitive nature of the program, but also how Lea coaches. 

“It was a lot of fun watching practice,” Sinclair said. “The practice was super high tempo, and they have a lot of energy, so it was super fun to watch.” 

Notre Dame also laid out an impressive academic presentation for Sinclair and his family. 

“The academic presentations were super informative,” explained Sinclair. “It really showed how much they care about academics, which is really important to me. I love how Coach Kelly’s mission is to graduate all his players and win a National Championship. I thought that was really cool.” 

It’s clear the Irish impressed Sinclair, and Notre Dame is now in line to get the San Ramon Valley star back on campus for an official visit this fall. 

“I’d love to experience game day at Notre Dame and go on an official visit,” said Sinclair. “It was an awesome visit, and I can only imagine how awesome game day is there.”