Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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46 MARCH 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY COREY BODDEN The final piece to Notre Dame's 2019 class became public Feb. 6 when Concord (Calif.) De La Salle defen- sive end Isaiah Foskey announced his decision on national television. Foskey actually signed with the Irish during the early period in De- cember, but decided to keep it quiet so he could be part of a celebration with his teammates in February. The 6-5, 240-pounder had a final five of Notre Dame, Washington, Cal- ifornia, Ohio State and Michigan, but the decision came down to the first three. In the end, the choice was clear for the highly gifted pass rusher. "The academics are what I want in a school as well as a football pro- gram," Foskey said. "You get the best of both worlds. Notre Dame was one of the four best teams last year to go with the academic piece. That's why I chose them over the other schools. Notre Dame was the best fit for me and my family. "It wasn't a tough decision at all." Notre Dame offered Foskey in May 2017, but it was more than a year before he first stepped foot on cam- pus. In fact, Foskey had his eyes on other visits, but decided he needed to check out the Irish. His unofficial last summer set the wheels in motion, but it was the of- ficial in September for the Stanford game that sealed the deal. "When they extended the offer, I wasn't really considering them and didn't know a lot about them," Fos- key explained. "Before I went to visit the first time, I was actually going to go to Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss. I told my dad we should go to Notre Dame and Michigan. That was the best decision I made. "The first time I went to Notre Dame they started with academ- ics and then talked about football. That was a lot different than other schools, and that's what I wanted in college with academics being first over football." Special teams coordinator Brian Polian began the process with Fos- key, but the four-star is excited to join defensive line coach Mike Elston's group this summer. "Coach Elston is straight forward like Coach Polian," Foskey said. "He's more of a jokester kind of guy, too. I had a chance to meet his family on the official. "He has a great family. I like him a lot." ✦ ISAIAH FOSKEY DEFENSIVE END 6-5 · 240 DE LA SALLE H.S. ANTIOCH, CALIF. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 15* 42 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 209 23^ 24 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 203 13* 27 * Ranked as a weakside defensive end; ^ ranked as a defensive end STATISTICS • During his senior campaign, he recorded 64 tackles (48 solo), 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception he returned for a touchdown. As a tight end on offense, he caught seven passes for 168 yards and three scores. HONORS • 2017 and 2018 USA Today All-State first-team defense • Part of The News Tribune's 2019 Western 100, which ranks the top 100 prospects in the West • 2018 San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro first- team defense • 2018 All-Bay Area News Group first-team defense • 2017 All-Bay Area News Group second-team defense ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Participated in the 2019 All-American Bowl in San Antonio RECRUITMENT • Publicly announced his decision to join Notre Dame Feb. 6 on ESPNU, but actually inked with the Fighting Irish during the early signing period in December. • Picked Notre Dame over finalists Washington, California. Michigan and Ohio State, but his deci- sion came down to the Irish, Huskies and Golden Bears. • Special teams coordinator Brian Polian and defensive line coach Mike Elston led the charge for the four-star prospect. • Took his first visit to Notre Dame in July 2018 after getting an offer more than a year earlier. He returned for an official visit in September for the Stanford game. It was the last visit he would take in the process and second official after doing so to Penn State in April. NOTABLE • Born on Oct. 30, 2000. • Helped De La Salle High School to two straight North Coast Section Open Division championship appearances his final two years. • Ran track during the 2017 outdoor season (sophomore). • According to Rivals rankings, he is the first four-star defensive end from California to ink with the Irish since Derek Landri and Chris Frome in 2002. 2019 PROJECTION • The outstanding depth at defensive end might result in a redshirt for Foskey, but his combination of length, natural power and athleticism will give him a shot to compete early on. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "We were looking for a pass rusher. Isaiah comes from a great pro- gram. It's a great fit and a strong student. We needed that guy who could make a presence in our defense. "If you're looking at it from an NFL perspective, the guys that get paid a lot are those cornerbacks and guys who can rush the quarterback. He can do that." Defensive line coach Mike Elston: "He's a super-talented young man who is going to add elements that we need: length, speed and ath- leticism off the edge to create a great pass rush. "He has the ability to play with great leverage to defend the run on first and second down." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Foskey is a long-limbed athlete with elite length, a trait that aids him as a run defender, a pass rusher and in coverage. In the run game, Foskey uses his length to keep blockers off his body. "His tight end background, length and speed give him incredible upside as a pass rusher. Fos- key gets off the edge quickly, shows good closing speed and can rapidly change direction. He has the potential to dominate in the pass game." Notre Dame Was An Easy Choice For Isaiah Foskey Foskey kept his early signing with Notre Dame quiet until his February announcement on national television. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM