Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2020 49 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame had three recruits play in the 2020 Under Armour All-Amer- ica Game Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla. Quarterback Drew Pyne was argu- ably the best passer in the game, and running back Chris Tyree scored a rushing touchdown and awed the country with his skills. The third Fighting Irish signee in the all-star game was Washington (D.C.) St. John's College High's Alex Peitsch, who didn't receive as much fanfare. Long snappers don't get attention unless they fail, but that rarely ever happens for Peitsch. Kohl's Professional Camps ranks Peitsch as a five-star specialist and the No. 1 long snapper in the nation. "It's like anything else," Peitsch explained. "If you do it enough, you get good at it. It really becomes an art the better you get. There are very small things, like if you have too much weight on the ball or too much weight back, that can throw things off. "You have be a perfectionist to be a specialist. It's the same with being a kicker and punter." Peitsch started long snapping in middle school, and it didn't take long for his father, David, to recognize that his son had a knack as a specialist. "I realized that, too," Peitsch said. "I went down in the basement and started doing snaps and kept doing them consistently." He took the next step in his craft as a long snapper by attending Kohl's Professional Camps, which is where he was awarded an invite to the Un- der Armour All-America Game. "I refined my game and worked at it, just being consistent is the biggest thing," Peitsch continued. "Even in the seventh grade, my mindset was to play in the NFL. Once it really be- came a reality was when I started getting recruited by colleges, which was my ju- nior year. And then getting the scholarship from Notre Dame really tied it all to- gether." N o t re D a m e o ff e re d Peitsch a scholarship on April 17, 2019, and the 6-1, 205-pounder jumped on that opportunity with a commitment a week later. It was a pretty easy decision for Peitsch. "I had a couple of other schools looking at me, but as a specialist, you don't get 30-plus offers. It's very limited," Peitsch said. "So, with Notre Dame — how can I get a school better than that?" W h e n t h e d i s c u s s i o n comes up about which class of 2020 Notre Dame recruits will play as true freshmen, Peitsch is one obvi- ous answer. In December, Irish head coach Brian Kelly announced that John Shannon will not return for a fifth year and will begin a law enforce- ment career in Evanston, Ill. Peitsch wasn't surprised by that news at all. Special teams coordina- tor Brian Polian told Peitsch during the recruiting process that Shannon would not return. Peitsch kept this revelation to himself, and he's now coming into a situation where he'll likely start as a freshman. "I'm up for it; I'm ready for it," Peitsch said. "I like to keep my mind just on the snap and less about the situation I'm in." ✦ All-American Long Snapper Alex Peitsch Is Ready For Action Peitsch, who is listed as Kohl's Professional Camps' No. 1 long snapper nationally, is expected to contribute immediately at Notre Dame next year. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM ALEX PEITSCH LONG SNAPPER 6-1 · 205 ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE HIGH ELLICOTT CITY, MD. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ — — — ✪ ✪ — 1 20 ✪ ✪ — 1 18 STATISTICS • Highest Score of 2020 Long Snappers at 12 Kohl's Showcase Events. • Ranked as Kohl's Professional Camps' No. 1 long snapper nationally. NOTABLE • Born on June 7, 2002 • 2016, 2017 and 2018 Kohl's Professional Camps High School All-American • 2017, 2018 and 2019 All-Washington Cath- olic Athletic Conference performer • Camp champ of 2018 Oklahoma State and Iowa State long snapping competitions • Camp champ of 2017 Tennessee and Mich- igan long snapping competitions • Has a GPA of better than 4.0 ALL-STAR GAMES • Had a perfect afternoon snapping the ball in the 2020 Under Armour All-America Game Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on April 24, 2019. • Received an offer from the Irish April 17, 2019 and committed exactly one week later. • Recruited by special teams coordinator Brian Polian. • Visited Notre Dame in February 2019 and knew that Notre Dame would be his choice if the Irish offered him. • Officially visited Notre Dame on June 21, 2019. 2020 PROJECTION • With John Shannon opting not to return for a fifth year, Peitsch could be penciled in as the starter for Notre Dame in 2020. THEY SAID IT Kohl's Professional Camps: "Peitsch is truly one of the most impressive snappers I have ever had the privilege to coach. Peitsch fin- ished the Kohl's National Scholarship Camp on a high note by earning a spot in the Under Armour All-America Game. Peitsch has been nothing short of dominant at every Kohl's event he has attended. He is someone who pushes himself to be the best he can be in every aspect of sports and in life. Peitsch is truly a generational talent and will be able to make an immediate impact for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish."