Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 7, 2020 53 FOOTBALL RECRUITING several months on the field is due to his development off of it. "He's really matured and shown a lot of selflessness," Johnson ex- plained. "He's good to the younger kids, and he really takes the other of- fensive linemen under his wing. His leadership has really improved, and I also have him in class [at Avon], and he works his butt off." Most offensive line recruits are more behind-the-scenes, quieter fig- ures, while the skill position players make the most headlines. That's sim- ply not the case with Fisher though. Anyone who follows him on his so- cial media channels knows that he has a big personality. "Blake has a social media presence, and that's an understatement," Bless joked. Fisher has more than 12,000 com- bined followers on Instagram and Twitter, two of the most popular so- cial media channels. His total makes him one of the most popular high school recruits in America, which isn't normal for an offensive lineman. Fisher uses his brand and person- ality to the benefit of Notre Dame. Most unofficial "leaders" of recruit- ing classes are often the quarterback — but make no mistake, it's Fisher for the Irish's 2021 group. It's just part of his DNA to lead, and he gives credit to Johnson for his growth as a leader. The offensive line coach preaches to his players about stepping up as young men, and Fisher developed into that as his high school career progressed. "I took it upon myself to be one of those guys in my class to lead and recruit," Fisher said. "The social part of me is very vocal, and I'm an indi- vidual who is going to speak up and get everyone to hop on board. Being a leader is second nature to me; it's something I'm passionate about and take pride in." Fisher pledged to Notre Dame very early, and he has been in the ear of basically every commitment the Irish have landed since then. "I recruited a lot of these guys, but I don't take credit for it by any means," Fisher explained. "For the class, I'm the most vocal guy, but behind closed doors, the rest of the class gets after it. "Our class is almost complete; we have a couple more guys we're try- ing to get. We all work together, and I love it." The recruitment Fisher was most involved in was Clarkston (Mich.) High's Rocco Spindler, whom Rivals ranks as the country's No. 3 offen- sive guard and No. 59 overall player. They've become very close friends over the past couple of years, seeing each other on visits and playing on- line video games together on a daily basis. Spindler announced his pledge to the Irish Aug. 8 and didn't inform Fisher of his intentions until a few days before the announcement. Notre Dame fans know that Fisher has the scoop on the Irish's top targets, but Spindler kept his good friend in the dark for as long as he could. "Notre Dame fans were asking him if there was any word, and he didn't know at the time," Spindler said with a laugh. "He wasn't posting anything about me, so it seemed like I wasn't going to Notre Dame." When Spindler informed Fisher of his decision to choose Notre Dame over Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State, Fisher was over the moon. "I was pumped," Fisher said. "It was a dream come true. I'm going to be playing with my brother for the next few years. It was mind-blowing to see all the hard work pay off and to know he's coming. I can't wait to maul some guys with him." Fisher is counting the days until he gets to South Bend. He gradu- ates from Avon in December and will enroll at Notre Dame next Feb- ruary, which is a month later than usual for mid-year recruits due to the pandemic. "I'm going to come in and give ev- erything I've got," Fisher added. "I want to be one of those great Indiana players for Notre Dame. I want to make a difference from day one." Fisher has all of the tools to be a dominant tackle at the next level, and his violence and love for contact could make him an elite guard as well. Either way, Fisher will line up at the position that provides him the earliest playing time. "He's still 17 years old," Johnson added. "When he gets in a nutrition program and leans out, it will really help take him to another level. "I think he can stay at tackle, but he may love the interior. I can see him playing tackle or wherever. He'll do whatever to get on the field." Don't discount that Fisher will come in and make an off-the-field impact, too. "I love to have fun," he said. "I love being me; why would I want to be anyone else? I'm a real social person. "I'll be walking down the hall and tap someone on the shoulder and introduce myself. You never know what someone is going through, and that's very meaningful to me. Some- one might be having a bad day, and I want to brighten up their day." "I know he'll do phenomenal in his off-the-field career whenever he gets to that point of his life," Johnson said. "He'll be a great salesman, busi- ness leader or whatever he wants to do." ✦ PHOTO BY MIKE SINGER "I'm going to come in and give everything I've got. I want to be one of those great Indiana players for Notre Dame. I want to make a difference from day one." — FISHER