Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1007651
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2018 39 BY DAVID MCKINNEY The Fourth of July was a good holi- day for Notre Dame football. On In- dependence Day, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel wide receiver Cam Hart an- nounced via Twitter he had verbally committed to the Fighting Irish. The 6-3, 181-pound Hart — ESPN's No. 8 player in Maryland and the No. 32 athlete nationally —unofficially vis- ited South Bend over the weekend of June 2 and silently committed to the Irish coaching staff during that visit. He chose Notre Dame over offers from Boston College, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina, Vir- ginia Tech, West Virginia and several others. During his unofficial visit, the ESPN four-star athlete said he felt like he was already a part of the Notre Dame pro- gram thanks to the hospitality from the coaching staff and current players. "Coach Del Alexander, Coach Brian Kelly and Coach Chip Long are great guys," he said. "When I went up there with my uncle, I really liked it. We both felt very comfortable. "I hung out with [Good Counsel alumnus and Notre Dame starting center] Sam Mustipher for a while. He let me know a lot of things about Notre Dame. It's a great place." Heading into the visit, Hart stressed that finding a place that felt like home was a crucial factor in his recruitment — and that's exactly what happened in South Bend. "It's all about fit, and I feel like Notre Dame is like my school but bigger," Hart said. "It's all about tradition, and that's what I like." Notre Dame offered Hart at wide receiver, but the Maryland talent is also a standout defensive back at Good Counsel. While defense is his preferred side of the ball, he's willing to focus on offense if that's what will get him on the field. "With Notre Dame, I'm looking for- ward to playing right away," Hart said. "Receiver will be my main position right now because of how many defen- sive backs they already have. "I'd personally like to play defen- sive back in college, but we'll see how things shake out. Receiver is my best option for playing time at Notre Dame." According to Good Counsel head coach Andy Stefanelli, that wide range of abilities on the football field imme- diately make Hart stand out. "Cam is a great player in a lot of ways," Stefanelli said. "I think his greatest attribute is his versatility. He's our top wide receiver, but he's also our top cornerback, and he plays safety as well." Though he'll be a receiver for the Irish, Stefanelli said Hart has the ability to play several different positions at a high level. "As a receiver, he has the ability go up and get the ball and make high- light-reel catches," the coach noted. "On the defensive side, he's got the speed at corner to run with anybody, and he's hard to throw over. "At safety, he's got great range and the speed to cover ground, and he's not afraid of contact either. It's unusual to get a kid that can do all those things with that kind of skill set and that kind of size." Stefanelli took over the head coach- ing job at Good Counsel in 2017, just prior the beginning of Hart's junior season. "He's been a huge asset, and his pro- gression over the years has been pretty remarkable to watch," Stefanelli said. "He was a quarterback in the Balti- more City League, and you could see the athleticism he had." In a lot of ways, Stefanelli said, Hart is an extension of the coaching staff in the locker room. "As a player and as a person, he's a really humble and hard-working kid," Stefanelli said. "He takes coach- ing really well, and he's a pleasure to be around in all aspects." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Cam Hart is a long, thin and athletic player with a good frame … Length and ball skills give him an exceptionally wide catch radius, which quarterbacks love … Shows excellent focus and concentration when the ball is in the air and when working in traffic … Has good long speed and showed top-notch testing times this summer, posting a 4.19 in the pro shuttle and a 37.5-inch vertical jump … Possesses better quickness and change of direction than one usually finds in such a long athlete … His toughness is most evident on defense and when he goes up to fight for the ball. Areas For Improvement Will need to continue adding to his frame and make significant strength gains … Needs to improve his ability to get off the line against press coverage and to be stronger against physical corners … Must improve his burst off the line. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE CAM HART Irish Get Independence Day Commitment From Maryland Hart, who is rated as the No. 12 player in Maryland and the No. 61 athlete in the country by Rivals, gave Notre Dame a silent commitment June 2 and went public just more than a month later. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM