Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 NOV. 9, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED PREP PROFILES It's no secret that Notre Dame has tough competition to land Clarkston (Mich.) High class of 2021 offensive guard Rocco Spindler. He holds offers from the likes of Ala- bama, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. The Wolverines are considered by some to be the early favorite — it's the local school that he's visited countless times. However, Notre Dame is in a very strong position to land Spindler, who is ranked as the No. 2 recruit in Michi- gan, and the No. 3 offensive guard and No. 82 overall prospect nationally. He visited South Bend for Notre Dame's matchup with USC Oct. 12, and he told Blue & Gold Illustrated that the Irish made a big move in his recruitment. "They definitely did," Spindler said. "They really rolled out the red carpet. They emphasized really taking care of me, showing me around, and meet- ing and engaging with the coaches. It shows the true meaning behind them when they talk to me. "They weren't just dragging me along and saying how much they need me and love me. It was more about what we could do here and building a relationship." Spindler thinks the world of Notre Dame offensive line coach Jeff Quinn. "I really love the guy," Spindler said. "He loves spending time with his play- ers outside of football. He takes care of his offensive linemen. "He really respects them as players and values them. He wants to help you succeed in the classroom, on the field and potentially in the NFL." A highlight of Spindler 's Notre Dame visit, like many other prospects who were in South Bend that week- end, was getting to know some of the other Irish recruits on campus. He spent a lot of time with Avon (Ind.) High's Blake Fisher, the nation's No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 17 overall recruit. The 2021 Notre Dame commit- ment is known to be a tireless recruiter of future teammates. "Those guys are recruiting me hard to commit there," Spindler said. "Those are a great group of guys, too. They're great ball players, and I can see myself playing next to them. "You have to like the guys you play with because you have to trust each other. I can definitely trust them." Spindler doesn't plan to announce a commitment any time soon and ex- pects to take official visits next spring before deciding. — Mike Singer Notre Dame offered one of the more intriguing prospects on the West Coast Oct. 5 — Napa (Calif.) High class of 2021 athlete Brock Bowers. The Irish joined Arizona State, LSU, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee, USC, Washington and others pursu- ing the 6-4, 220-pound prospect. Since he earned the Notre Dame offer, Mich- igan and Colorado extended scholar- ships to Bowers as well. Rivals ranks Bowers as a three-star talent and the No. 14 tight end in the country. Notre Dame is actually the first school to offer Bowers at a posi- tion other than tight end. "Notre Dame asked if I would pre- fer to play defense or offense in col- lege, and I said that I didn't have a preference," Bowers said. "They said that they wanted to offer me as a pass rusher." Bowers could be a fit at Notre Dame at the drop end position, but there doesn't seem to be a set plan for him just yet. "They want to get me out there as an athlete and see where I fall in, whether it's on offense as a tight end or on defense as a pass rusher," Bow- ers said. Notre Dame special teams and re- cruiting coordinator Brian Polian ex- tended the offer to Bowers. Defensive line coach Mike Elston has been in contact with Bowers as well. "I liked Coach Polian," Bowers said. "He was down to earth in talking to me." Bowers — who is rated as the No. 24 recruit in California by Rivals — wasn't expecting to earn an offer from Notre Dame so soon, but he was cer- tainly excited about it. "It was surprising," Bowers said. "It's a great school with a lot of his- tory. I don't know a lot about them, but I know the basics." Bowers would like to take a trip out to see Notre Dame in the spring. "My family and I are thinking about taking a trip to the East Coast and Midwest schools, and seeing all of those schools," he said. If Bowers is able to make that trip, he'd also like to see Georgia, Ne- braska and Penn State. On tape, the versatile Bowers can be seen at H-back, slot receiver, running back and even a slot nickel role, simi- lar to the Irish's rover position. — Mike Singer Michigan Offensive Lineman Impressed By Notre Dame Visit 2021 California Athlete Pleasantly Surprised By Fighting Irish Offer ROCCO SPINDLER ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Clarkston H.S. Clarkston, Mich. Status: Offered Class: 2021 Position: Offensive Guard Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 290 Rivals Rankings: No. 2 player in Michigan, and No. 3 offensive guard and No. 82 overall player nationally BROCK BOWERS ✪ ✪ ✪ Napa H.S. Napa, Calif. Status: Offered Class: 2021 Position: Athlete Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 220 Rivals Rankings: No. 24 player in California and No. 14 tight end nationally "It was kind of surprising. It's a great school with a lot of history." Bowers on his new offer from Notre Dame "I really love the guy. He's a great guy. He loves spending time with his players outside of football. He takes care of his offensive linemen. He really respects them as players and values them. He wants to help you succeed in the classroom, on the field and potentially in the NFL." Spindler on Notre Dame offensive line coach Jeff Quinn