Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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football recruiting compete for us. The punting position was part of this year's recruiting process. We finished with Andrew and we feel good about that." Antognoli, a Fresno, Calif., native, is a high school All-American punter who popped up on Notre Dame's radar after appearing in the Semper Fidelis All-Star Game Jan. 4 in Los Angeles. He originally committed to kick at Harvard next fall, but jumped at the chance to earn a spot at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. "I couldn't help but accept that," Antognoli said. "I was ecstatic. I'm just so excited about this opportunity." Kicking guru Chris Sailer said Antognoli is one of the 10 best punting prospects in the country this year. "He's mature, a hard worker and all those things point towards a guy that's going to develop," Sailer said. "Notre Dame is getting a good one. He has all the tools you're looking for in a college punter." Less than a week after Antognoli decided to flip to the Irish, Chereson jumped on board as well. The Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep football and soccer star had scholarship offers from smaller schools such as nearby Youngstown State, but when an opportunity opened at his dream school Chereson jumped at it. The two-time Pennsylvania all-state first-teamer set just almost every kicking record they have at Cathedral Prep, according to head coach Mike Mischler. This year, Chereson set program high marks for field goals in a season (nine), field goals in a game (four), longest field goal (52 yards) and extra points made (84) for the undefeated state championship team. He also led the state with 51 touchbacks on kickoffs as a senior. "He's a very accurate, strong-legged kicker," Mischler said. "He wanted to be able to attend Notre Dame. That's always been his dream and being able to get a preferred walk-on position was something he was definitely interested in doing." Chereson and Antognoli will get a chance to compete right away to share some of the kicking load with Brindza, who might be the lone scholarship kicker on the roster next season. Senior placekicker Nick Tausch is eligible for a fifth season in South Bend, but Notre Dame might not have a scholarship to give him. "He is right now an option, but Kyle Brindza is a strong option for us as well at both positions," Kelly said on National Signing Day. Tausch started the 2012 season as the first-string placekicker, but lost his job to Brindza after he suffered a groin injury during the first game of the year against Navy. Blue-Chip Recruiters Notre Dame assistant coaches Tony Alford, Mike Denbrock and Chuck Martin all made the cut for 247Sports' list of the top 50 recruiters of the year. Alford, the team's recruiting coordinator, orchestrated a nationwide search by all nine Irish assistants that ended with a consensus top-five class. They added more than they lost during a month of January that included