Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2020 59 Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central class of 2022 linebacker No- lan Ziegler announced his commit- ment to Notre Dame the morning of Aug. 22, choosing the Fighting Irish over Boston College, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and others. For an Irish Catholic kid whose family loves Notre Dame and grew up watching the football team, his commitment just made too much sense. On his father's side of the family, Ziegler 's great uncle, Fred Trosko Jr., was a backup quarterback for Notre Dame in the 1970s, and on his mother 's side, Tim Sullivan was a linebacker for the Irish. Trosko and Sullivan played together at Notre Dame as well. "I'm going there to win a national title, and it also has one of the best educations in the country," Ziegler said. "It has a great tradition, and I've had relatives play there." On a Zoom call surrounded by his family, Ziegler informed Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly of his deci- sion to commit two days prior to an- nouncing his decision. "He wants to see me play a lead role at rover for Notre Dame," Ziegler said. "I told him I want to bring him a national title and that I'm completely committed. I'm not changing my mind." When Ziegler was in the sixth grade, he attended a youth camp at Notre Dame and got a picture with Kelly. They plan to take a few more pictures down the road. "He told me he wants to get a pic- ture with me after we win a national championship, then when I get my degree and also after I get drafted in the NFL," Ziegler said. Ziegler's original plan was to wait out the NCAA's mandated dead pe- riod due to the COVID-19 pandemic and take recruiting visits before mak- ing a decision. However, if Notre Dame was go- ing to be his choice whether he an- nounced in August or took all five of his official visits and committed on National Signing Day, then what's the point of waiting? That's basi- cally what went through Ziegler 's mind for a couple of weeks following Notre Dame's offer to him Aug. 5. "My mom asked me if I can see myself playing for an- o t h e r t e a m a g a i n s t Notre Dame, and I said no," Ziegler explained. "I just want to play for Notre Dame; it's in my heart. I'm Irish. I was born on St. Patrick's Day. It just fits." On the Monday of commitment week, Ziegler had a call with Notre Dame defensive coordi- nator Clark Lea and defensive ana- lyst Nick Lezynski. After that conver- sation, Ziegler came to the realization that it was time to make the call for the Irish. "They said lots of great things about the academics and dived deep into that," Ziegler recalled. "Notre Dame can give me a lot for the next 40 years, and they have great football too. I really thought to myself about if I wanted to wait, but there's no reason to if I know it's in my heart. "I came to grips with not going on any visits and committing to Notre Dame. It's the best place for me." Lea, Lezynski and Kelly played a role in Ziegler's decision to announce for Notre Dame, and so did offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, who started to build a relationship with Ziegler before the 6-4, 205-pound prospect even held an offer from the Irish. "I really trust Coach Quinn; we have a good bond," Ziegler noted. "I really enjoy talking to all of their coaches. They're going to push me. Coach Lea is the best defensive coach in the country, and so is Quinn with the offensive line. "It's just a great opportunity to be with these coaches." Ziegler is listed as an athlete by Ri- vals and plays a number of positions at the high school level. He notes that the Irish are looking at him as a line- backer that could start out at rover and then move inside. "Later on, I could go move to middle linebacker de- pending on how much weight I gain," Ziegler explained. A s a s o p h o m o re , Ziegler posted 78 tack- les, four interceptions (two returned for touch- downs) and forced a fumble. Ziegler, who is ranked as the No. 10 player in Michigan and the No. 28 athlete nationally in his class by Rivals, won't be in action this fall. The state of Michigan postponed its high school football season until the spring. — Mike Singer COMMITMENT PROFILE NOLAN ZIEGLER With Irish Bloodlines, A Notre Dame Pledge Was A No-Brainer For Junior Michigan Athlete Ziegler, the No. 10 prospect in Michigan and the No. 28 athlete in the country per Rivals, recorded 78 tackles, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) and forced a fumble during his sophomore campaign. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Film Analysis "He lists himself as a strong safety/wide receiver, but he's definitely a future linebacker. He seems really comfortable moving laterally and reading his keys in the box. "He'll play because he knows what he's doing as such as young kid. He can play multiple positions; he's a great blitzer, too." — Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Mike Goolsby "I'm going there to win a national title, and it also has one of the best educations in the country. It has a great tradition, and I've had relatives play there." ZIEGLER