2020 KY ATH Landen Bartleson Had A Unique Experience With Clark Lea

2020 Boyle County (Ky.) athlete Landen Bartleson‍ made an unofficial visit to Notre Dame over the weekend and it was his second visit in a month to South Bend. 

This weekend’s visit was a little different as the 6-foot, 185-pounder had a chance to see practice, but also get a feel for campus life away from the football field.

“It was nice to get back around the coaching staff and sit in to talk to them one-on-one,” Bartleson told Irish Sports Daily. “I actually got to do a lot this weekend. I was able to be around the players and sitting in on class on campus.” 

One of the unique experiences of the weekend came from defensive coordinator Clark Lea. On most visits, coaches will show highlights, but Lea chose to pick Bartleson’s brain about some of the negative plays from the Cotton Bowl. 

“This time I got to sit down with Coach Lea,” explained Bartleson. “He showed me some plays of players from the Clemson game. He talked about how I would react and respond to letting your team down. He wanted to know how I would respond in a situation like that. 

“Coach Lea explained people always show the highlights. It was different. I really got to sit in and pick out the formations and breaking down the play to really see why the plays turned out why they did. It was a different experience and a really good experience.” 

In addition to Lea, Bartleson spoke with cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght and head coach Brian Kelly. 

“I also spoke with Coach Lyght,” stated Bartleson. “We were talking about what was important to me in a school. Coach Kelly is pretty cool. We talked about everything.” 

Bartleson took in Notre Dame’s practice on Saturday morning inside the stadium. While some schools see him as a running back, the Irish staff views him as a cornerback and he was intently watching Lyght work with his cornerbacks. 

“It was similar to some of the stuff I’ve seen before,” said Bartleson. “I could see myself in the position to play with those players and for that coaching staff.” 

It’s clear Bartleson is open to playing cornerback as he has somewhat adjusted his recruitment to see how programs see him fitting into the defensive backfield. 

“I’ve been pushing cornerback a little bit,” Bartleson said. “Some schools have re-offered and I've been gauging the feel of the defensive staffs. Some things have changed, but I feel comfortable at corner and I can see myself excelling at the next level.” 

Notre Dame’s players made an impression on the Kentucky native this weekend as Bartleson spent the night with the team. 

“On Friday night, I stayed with another recruit and a current player,” Bartleson explained. “We stayed there to see how it was and chilled with some of the other players on the team as well.” 

Bartleson will now focus on track for the next month before getting back into his recruitment. 

“I plan on to take some visits soon,” said Bartleson. “I want to focus on track for a little bit until May comes around and then coaches can start coming back in. Then official visits will come, but that depends on my decision. 

“I’m leaning towards a later decision towards the beginning of my football season or somewhere after that.”