Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2020 57 Georgia has been on Notre Dame's mind in recent years. Going back to the 2018 class, Notre Dame has landed eight prospects from the Peach State. That number could grow as well with Atlanta Pace Academy class of 2021 wide receiver Jayden Thomas being considered a Notre Dame lean. During that same time span, the Irish have landed four recruits from its home state of Indiana. The latest Notre Dame pledge from the Peach State is Milton (Ga.) High class of 2022 tight end Jack Nickel, who Rivals ranks as the No. 43 player in his home state and the No. 19 tight end in the country. Nickel picked Notre Dame over Florida State, Georgia Tech, LSU, Iowa, Louisville, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and many others. "A lot of schools have great foot- ball and great facilities, but Notre Dame's academics and the football tradition are just second to none," Nickel told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "There is just no other school like it. Wisconsin, Penn State, Iowa and so many others are great schools, but Notre Dame is a special place and the place I want to be." Nickel visited Notre Dame last October for the Fighting Irish's triumph versus U S C , b u t h e didn't hold a scholarship of- fer at that point. And after for- mer tight ends coach Chip Long departed from the program in December, Nickel had basically no contact with the Notre Dame staff. But in May, after a couple of months on the job as Notre Dame's new tight ends coach, John McNulty dished out a scholarship offer to Nickel. "After talking to Coach McNulty about a week after they offered me, it became my favorite school," Nickel said of the Fighting Irish. "When I watched the excellence presentation, it really set them apart." Nickel was on a Zoom call in mid- July with McNulty and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian and went through Notre Dame's "excellence presentation." The 6-4, 230-pounder was already leaning towards the Irish, but that video call put Notre Dame over the top. "They showed the graduation rates of every school, and Notre Dame really cares about its play- ers outside of foot- ball," Nickel said. "There's no other school that's in the top 25 every year that's also a top-20 academic school." Nickel kept in close contact with McNulty and Polian from May, when he received the offer, to late July, when he announced his com- mitment, and the relationships built during that short period of time were a factor in his decision. "He was really the closer for me," Nickel said of Polian. "He did a great job. He answered every question I had about Notre Dame. "Considering that Coach McNulty has 15 years of NFL experience, he def- initely knows what he's talking about. With that level of experience, it means a lot when they have interest in you." Nickel also connected with Notre Dame tight end Brock Wright to get his final questions about the univer- sity and football program answered. "He told me that Notre Dame is not the same as going to an SEC school with 40,000 people party- ing like crazy, but it will set you up for life after football — that's what you're coming here for," he said. "It's a huge family atmosphere compared to other schools." In late June, the Nickel family drove up to South Bend for a self- guided tour of campus. They weren't able to see the coaches or get into the facilities because of the NCAA-man- dated recruiting dead period, but it was still a special trip for Nickel. "Driving through the campus, it was beautiful," he said. "I had that home feeling. It was perfect for me." Nickel helped lead Milton to a 7A Georgia state championship and was named to the MaxPreps 2018 Fresh- man All-America Team for his efforts that year. As a sophomore, Nickel was named first-team 5-AAAAAAA all- region on offense. He led the team with 30 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns. — Mike Singer COMMITMENT PROFILE JACK NICKEL Fighting Irish Keep Peach State Pipeline Strong With Tight End Pledge Nickel, the No. 19 tight end in the 2022 class per Rivals, picked Notre Dame over Florida State, Iowa, LSU, Oregon, Penn State, Wisconsin and many others. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Film Analysis "He's a complete tight end with soft hands. I don't think he'll blow your doors off athleti- cally. I anticipate Notre Dame to continue to use a lot of tight ends, so you need a mix of skill sets. Nickel is a mix of an extension of a tackle and someone you can split out. "You need the speedy athletic guy, like Tommy Tremble, and you need a bruising blocker, and also the guy who can do both. I think Nickel is a kid who can do both. "Notre Dame is a desirable offer for tight ends. Since 2005, every starting tight end has been drafted. He reminds me of a Stanford- type tight end — he's disciplined and does everything pretty well. He'll be big enough to block most defensive ends at least semi- competently." — Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Mike Goolsby "I think after talking to Coach [John] McNulty about a week after they offered me, it became my favorite school. When I watched the excellence presentation, it really set them apart." NICKEL ON NOTRE DAME