Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 NOV. 7, 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER B lake Fisher started receiving of- fers from Power Five schools be- fore he entered his sophomore year of high school. And that fall, Michi- gan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Wisconsin and others extended scholarships to him after seeing his potential. During the spring evaluation pe- riod for college coaches in 2019, more offers poured in for Fisher — from Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Okla- homa to name a few. On June 15, 2019, Fisher ended his recruitment by giving his pledge to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish while on campus for a visit. Fisher didn't have to work for more scholarships at that point. His dream of playing major college football was achieved. Fisher could have taken the easy route with his commitment in hand and a top-100 national ranking per Rivals. But according to the Avon (Ind.) High coaching staff, their star pupil exceeded expectations going into his junior year in 2019 by putting in extra work during the offseason. "He took bigger strides than I even thought," offensive line coach Jared Johnson said. "When he was away from us, he'd be working with his buddies. He was getting a lot of reps in the offseason, and when he came in as a junior, I was like, 'Oh my goodness.'" "When he came in as a freshman, we saw the size and potential," head coach Mark Bless added. "That alone puts someone on the map for recruiting, but when he went into his junior year, he made so much improvement." In the summer of 2019, Rivals ranked Fisher as the nation's No. 14 overall prospect and just outside five-star status. His biggest personal goal was to achieve that extra star. The 6-6, 330-pounder helped his cause last fall in leading Avon to a 9-1 record and routinely producing highlight plays. This past summer, Fisher attended the Midwest Expo- sure Camp in Fort Wayne, Ind., but his intentions there were much dif- ferent than everyone else's. Most prospects who participated wanted to improve their stock to get on the college radar, but since he hadn't had any opportunities to im- press Rivals' talent evaluators since his season the prior fall, Fisher at- tended the camp in hopes to achieve his fifth star. Mission accomplished. "Fisher has always been impres- sively athletic for his size, but there was a concern he could get too big and lose his mobility," Rivals Mid- west recruiting analyst Josh Helm- holdt said. "This summer, however, Fisher emerged from the spring lock- down in the best shape we have ever seen him. He was leaner and quicker but still a dominant, physical force." Rivals currently ranks Fisher as the No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 19 overall prospect in America for the 2021 recruiting class. "Getting my fifth star is a blessing, and I am honored," Fisher said. "I have been working for this, and I'm not even close to being finished." Every high school recruit in the country has room for improvement and isn't a finished product. But at this point, the Avon coaching staff doesn't have many pointers for Fisher, whose game continued to im- prove from his junior to senior sea- sons as well. "What do you coach him on?" Johnson asked rhetorically. "I had to tell him that I have four other of- fensive linemen that need a lot of coaching, and you just need some fine-tuning but to keep asking ques- tions. He just wants to get better and craves coaching. "He's a smart player. He knows what the defense is in and what they can do to him. From the snap, he adjusts accordingly. He's a great fin- isher in the pass and run game. He's a violent player. "He's got great feet and is athletic, which you can't coach. For his size, it's unbelievable how athletic he is. He's an NFL guy, in my opinion, if he keeps on this track." During Fisher 's sophomore sea- son in 2018, Avon fell 21-7 to rival Brownsburg (Ind.) High. Johnson recalls a play in that contest where Fisher missed his assignment, and the Brownsburg defender forced a fumble on Avon's running back, which led to a touchdown for the op- posing team. Johnson voiced his displeasure to Fisher, who didn't understand why his coach was upset at him. As Fisher matured, he started to understand his coaches' messages to him more. A part of Fisher's growth in the past Avon (Ind.) High's Fisher, who Rivals ranks as the top recruit in Indiana and the No. 19 overall player nationally, will be a fan favorite for his play on the field but also how he carries himself off of it. PHOTO BY MIKE SINGER Blake Fisher: Notre Dame's Five-Star Recruit With A Big Personality