Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1133608
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 153 Notre Dame was patient, taking time to evaluate and offer a few prospects before zeroing in on Wisconsin commit Graham Mertz, a four-star passer from Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley North. Mertz was recep- tive to the Irish's advances and also flirted with Ohio State, while remaining committed to the Badgers. The Irish were in constant contact with Mertz, pitching him on what it means to be the starting quarterback in South Bend. Notre Dame was extremely close to secur- ing a visit from him and a flip seemed like a strong possibility if it took place, but Mertz announced on June 14 that he was shut- ting down his recruitment and sticking with Wisconsin. Once it became clear Mertz was no longer an option, Notre Dame shifted its focus to Brendon Clark, a Wake Forest commit from Midlothian (Va.) Manchester. The Irish of- ficially offered Clark on June 6. With major programs entering the picture, Clark backed off his commitment on June 10. On July 4, Clark held a commitment ceremony at the beach, picking up a Notre Dame hat and choosing the Irish over Clem- son and North Carolina. The future Irish quarterback had a huge senior season, completing 133 of 227 passes for 2,327 yards and 35 touchdowns and lead- ing his team to a 15-0 record and the Virginia Class 6A state championship. Following the season, accolades poured in for Clark, including USA Today Virginia Offensive Player of the Year recognition and Virginia High School League first-team Class 6 All-State honors. MIKE ELSTON AT IT AGAIN Defensive line coach Mike Elston, who has built a strong reputation in the recruiting world, personally recruited all four signees at his position group, beating some major national programs along the way. Notre Dame identified four-star Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren defensive tackle Jacob Lacey early in his high school career, and a longstanding relationship with not only Elston, but also head coach Brian Kelly and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian, eventually paid off. Lacey chose the Irish on July 29, spurning offers from Clemson, Michigan, Penn State, Kentucky, Tennessee and others. After the decommitment of quarterback Cade McNamara, Lacey was technically the first commitment of the 2019 class. From the time he committed up to signing day, Lacey was a great ambassador for the football pro- gram, playing an integral part in the Irish landing three more talented linemen to play alongside him. Notre Dame was also an early offer for Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic pass rusher NaNa Osafo-Mensah, who was a top target for in-state powers Texas and Texas A&M. With conventional wisdom pointing toward the Longhorns, Osafo-Mensah took an April official visit to South Bend. In the end it came down to the Irish and Texas, but he picked Notre Dame in May. Also hailing from Texas is Hunter Spears, a four-star hybrid defensive tackle. Spears had been hoping for a Notre Dame offer for a long time, and one finally came on June 2, 2017. Spears received his first look at Notre Dame during a visit for the 2017 USC game, and the Irish surged to the top of his leader- board, putting themselves in front of schools such as Alabama, Baylor, Oklahoma State and others. From there it was more of a matter of when than if, but Spears was patient. He finally committed to the Irish following a Junior Day visit on Feb. 20. The process was much quicker for How- ard Cross, a four-star defensive lineman from Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph's. Cross was offered by Notre Dame on April 3, 2018, visited for the first time on April 21 and committed the next day. Cross is the son of Howard Cross II, a for- mer member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, a New York Giants tight end from 1989-2001 and a Super Bowl XXV champion. The final piece to the class was four-star defensive end Isaiah Foskey of powerhouse Concord (Calif.) De La Salle. Notre Dame recruited him for more than a year, initially targeting him as a tight end. Foskey took an official visit to Notre Dame Sept. 29. Although he constantly al- luded to visiting other schools, he never took any other trips before committing to Notre Dame on National Signing Day. He chose the Irish over offers from several major pro- grams, including Alabama, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State and USC. Spears, Lacey and Osafo-Mensah all enrolled early and participated in spring practice. Foskey and Cross will arrive in the summer. ✦ After a long process, Notre Dame eventually landed on Midlothian (Va.) Manchester standout Brendon Clark for the quarterback spot in the class of 2019. Rivals rated Clark as the No. 20 pro-style signal caller in the land. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL Final 2019 Class Rankings Rivals 14 247Sports 15 ESPN 14 Football Recruiting Is HERE! Get A FREE 30-Day Trial • Promo Code BGI30 BlueAndGold.com Daily Team Coverage Expert Analysis Recruiting Scoop Prospect Videos Lively Message Boards