Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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40 MARCH 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY COREY BODDEN For Edina (Minn.) High 2019 of- fensive lineman Quinn Carroll, Notre Dame football was often on televi- sion when he was growing up. Carroll's great grandfather moved from Ireland to the United States and ultimately became a fan of the Fight- ing Irish. That love for Notre Dame was passed down to Carroll's grand- father and his father, Jay. Jay Carroll went on to play tight end at Minnesota and two years in the NFL, but being part of the Irish program was the goal. Even though the opportunity never came, Notre Dame games were always part of the Carroll household growing up. "My dad would always watch Notre Dame, and I would always watch with him," Carroll fondly recalled. "That was a great bonding moment for us. But he would always watch Virginia Tech and Minnesota [where his older brother and dad played, respectively]. "Growing up, it wasn't biased in any way. … We had many teams we cheered for during my early days of growing up. Now, we all bleed green, blue and gold. We're all Irish." Due to watching Notre Dame at an early age, Carroll took a liking to the program. However, it wasn't until the Irish offered during his sopho- more year when the Rivals100 pros- pect's interest took off. "I knew how special of a program Notre Dame was," Carroll said. "I've always taken pride in my faith and Irish heritage. That was always spe- cial to me. I knew they had terrific academics, and they've always been a great football team. "I always took a liking to Notre Dame, but it wasn't until the recruit- ing process when I got to learn 100 times more than what I already knew about the school. That really sparked my interest." When Carroll had the opportunity to attend Notre Dame and eventually decided South Bend was where he wanted to be, it was a monumental event for the early enrollee and his family. "It was always my dad's dream to go to Notre Dame, but that oppor- tunity didn't present itself," he said. "Once it did for me, it was pretty spe- cial for him and me. It was definitely more special for my family in gen- eral. My aunts, uncles, brothers, sis- ters, and everyone, love Notre Dame. "We all know a little bit more about Notre Dame. We're all diehard fans, and they can't wait to cheer me on." Carroll enrolled at Notre Dame this January to get a jump start on his student-athlete career, and his first snap on the field will undoubtedly add special memories for him and his family. ✦ QUINN CARROLL OFFENSIVE TACKLE 6-6 · 285 EDINA H.S. EDINA, MINN. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 68 7 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 177 18 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 182 18 2 STATISTICS • Was part of an offensive line that helped Edina High average 17.3 points per game en route to a 7-3 record in 2018. • Edina's offensive line paved the way for the Hornets (8-3) to average 23.9 points per game in 2017. HONORS • 2017 and 2018 Associated Press All-State first team • 2017 and 2018 USA Today All-Minnesota first- team offense • 2018 Minneapolis Star Tribune All-Metro first- team offense • 2016, 2017 and 2018 first-team all-district ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Did not participate in any national postseason all-star games • Helped the South team defeat the North in the 2018 Minnesota Football Showcase RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on May 1, 2018, and enrolled in January 2019. • Picked the Fighting Irish over finalists Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. • Offensive line coach Jeff Quinn was his primary recruiter after the departure of Harry Hiestand. • Took multiple trips to South Bend in 2017 and 2018, including his official visit for Notre Dame's annual Blue-Gold Game the weekend of April 20-22, 2018. NOTABLE • Born on May 21, 2000. • Served as a team captain for the 2016-18 foot- ball seasons. • His older brothers Collin and Kevin played football at Virginia Tech and Northern Iowa, re- spectively. • His older brother Patrick was a pitcher for the Augustana University baseball team. 2019 PROJECTION • Notre Dame returns outstanding depth along the offensive line, but Carroll's size, power and advanced technique, along with the fact he is enrolling early, mean he will have a chance to push some upperclassmen by the time the fall rolls around. THEY SAID IT Edina head coach Derrin Lamker: "He's a domi- nating run blocker and a really good pass blocker. I'm really excited to see him block people that are his size or closer to his size. In high school, he's blocking 180- and 190-pound kids and will some- times get 280-pound kids. "At 6-foot-6, it's hard to do that all the time and it'll be easier with bigger guys." Offensive line coach Jeff Quinn: "He comes from a football family, which has shaped him to be a tre- mendous leader who sets the example, and holds himself and his teammates accountable. "Quinn is a physical player who sets the tone every day. He has the size and length we look for at the offensive tackle position." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "The Edina star plays with excellent pad level, and his ability to keep his base and explode through contact is impressive. He displays power out of his stance and does an impressive job staying locked onto defenders. "Carroll has powerful hands and shows good placement. He plays with good technique, good leverage and good angles, and his timing is top notch. "In the pass game, Carroll shows the abil- ity to fire out of his stance, get to the speed rusher on the edge and quickly react to double moves. He has the hand speed to compete at a high level." Quinn Carroll Gets To Live Out His Dad's Dream Carroll is Notre Dame's highest-rated recruit in the 2019 class, checking in at No. 68 overall nationally per Rivals. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL