Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2019 33 BY EJ HOLLAND Jay Brunelle had one goal in mind after leaving Notre Dame in Febru- ary following its junior day event — earn an offer from the Fighting Irish. Months passed with little to no contact from the Notre Dame coach- ing staff. But when June 9 — which marked the date of the Irish Invasion camp — rolled around, Brunelle was ready to put on a show. The Shrewsbury (Mass.) St. John's wide receiver — who is listed as a three-star talent and the No. 10 re- cruit in Massachusetts by Rivals — was the most dominant player at the camp, which featured several highly touted prospects. Immediately fol- lowing the event, Brunelle received his most coveted scholarship offer. "I knew I had to camp and prove myself," Brunelle said. "I could have said 'screw it' and not waited that long. But Notre Dame was a place I always wanted to be. "It was a surreal feeling when I did get the offer. It felt like all my work really paid off. That was my goal. It was circled on my calendar since February." At the time of the offer, Notre Dame's wide receiver picture was still a little murky because top targets Jalen McMillan of Fresno (Calif.) San Joaquin Memorial and AJ Henning of Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East remained on the board. Once both committed elsewhere, the door flew open for Brunelle to join the class. Despite a great official visit weekend to Michigan, Brunelle picked Notre Dame just a few days after his trip to Ann Arbor. "Michigan made a great, late push," Brunelle said. "It came down to Michigan and Notre Dame. It was a tough decision, but I knew it was always Notre Dame. That's where my heart was. "Deep down, I felt like Notre Dame was the place I wanted to be. It was amazing to accomplish that." Brunelle also held offers from Bos- ton College, Connecticut, Massachu- setts, UCLA, Wake Forest and West Virginia. However, he always loved the Notre Dame program and be- lieves it's a perfect fit. "I go to an all-guys Catholic school right now," Brunelle explained. "I've felt that throughout my time at St. John's, I've developed really well as a person, both athletically and aca- demically. "I also developed a strong faith sense. I saw a lot of connections be- tween St. John's and Notre Dame. "There are a lot of elite alums from St. John's that have gone to Notre Dame and raved about it. I just feel like I fit the most there. It's all there for me to compete at a high level and continue to develop off the field at a smaller campus." Along with being a star on the foot- ball field, Brunelle is also a religious leader at his high school and was one of a handful of students selected to go on a retreat and help other high schools improve their faith life. Notre Dame's emphasis on spiri- tuality also helped sway Brunelle to South Bend. "I run the campus ministry at my school," Brunelle noted. "I'm a stu- dent leader. Going to the retreat, that's really where I saw my fit at Notre Dame as well. "Notre Dame is one of the most iconic schools when it comes to the religious aspect. Faith is really im- portant to me." On the field, Brunelle is a big out- side receiver that can stretch the field. The 6-2, 200-pounder ran a 4.48 40-yard dash time at the Irish Inva- sion camp, and is coming off a mon- ster junior season that saw him log 69 receptions for 1,158 yards and 18 touchdowns. Brunelle showcased his ability at the Irish Invasion camp, and both offensive coordinator Chip Long and wide receivers coach Del Alexander are ready to work with him at Notre Dame. "I've been told I'm a great verti- cal threat," Brunelle said. "I'm really working on becoming the best all- around player that I know I can be. "People assume vertical threat when they see my 40. I'm much more than that. The coaches have told me that I'm an outside guy, but they think I can play the slot, too. "Coach Long said it's an offense for playmakers, and they are going to get the ball in those playmakers' hands. I'm going to play whatever is best for the team." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Jay Brunelle shows good size for the position at 6-2 and 200 pounds … Has an athletic frame and displays good playing strength, which helps him as a blocker and when fighting for the ball in the air … Top-notch ball skills and strength allow him to constantly win one-on-one matchups and make plays after the catch … Strong route runner with a good feel for how to play the position … Quality athlete with good balance and foot quickness … Doesn't play to the 4.48 speed he showed this summer, but his playing speed is good enough considering his other traits. Areas For Improvement Needs to carry his testing speed onto the field better … Improving his playing speed will help him get more separation as a route runner, which can be an issue for him at times … Must be more consistent as a blocker. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE JAY BRUNELLE Massachusetts Pass Catcher Selects Notre Dame Over Michigan Brunelle reeled in 69 catches for 1,158 yards and 18 scores during his junior campaign at Shrewsbury (Mass.) St. John's. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM