Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2021 57 FOOTBALL RECRUITING 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE almost exclusively five-star talent. It won't take long to realize he is out of place, likely intimidated and not a "fit." The same principle applies in Notre Dame's football recruiting when at- tempting to find the right profile beyond just the playing field, per re- cruiting coordinator/special teams co- ordinator Brian Polian and associate head coach/defensive line coach Mike Elston. The classrooms at Notre Dame are going to be replete with five-star aca- demic talents (valedictorians and salu- tatorians) — which can be equally in- timidating to a talented football player who might "only" be a solid B student, or a three- or four-star academically in comparison. As a result, Notre Dame's coaching staff's "star ratings" are not based just on game tape and measur- ables found in combines and football camps. "There's more to it that Coach [Brian] Kelly has put together," noted Elston, who enters his 18th year work- ing under Kelly. "Academic founda- tion, core curriculum, support system to be successful at Notre Dame. "Is he a good citizen? Does he make great decisions? Is he a leader? Work ethic? … We put ratings on all of that stuff." When asked how many players from a random top-100 list Notre Dame is able to recruit based on fit and comfort with the school's standards or demands, Elston said it can vary each cycle, but "I would say less than half are guys that we can target and go af- ter for one reason or another." He pointed to his top recruit in 2021, defensive tackle Gabe Rubio (No. 109 overall player nationally per Rivals), who attended Lutheran St. Charles in St. Peter's, Mo. "I gave him a challenge that we need to see your academics go up before we offer you a scholarship," Elston said. Rather than resist or respond that he can go to other football powers, Rubio elevated his grade-point aver- age appreciably and demonstrated the "traits" necessary to achieve on and off the field at Notre Dame. JEFF QUINN NAMED TOP 25 RECRUITER Notre Dame has had enormous success producing offensive linemen in recent years, highlighted by three first-team All-Pros alone in 2019 with Quenton Nelson, Zack Martin and Ronnie Stanley, and four others who started in the NFL this past season. Four more could possibly be drafted this spring: All-Americans Liam Eichenberg and Aaron Banks, plus four-year starters Tommy Kraemer and Robert Hainsey. That helps the Irish recruit the po- sition, and third-year offensive line coach Jeff Quinn was recognized by Rivals as one of the nation's top 25 recruiters this past cycle. His efforts on the trail saw him reel in a five-man of- fensive line — the first at Notre Dame since 2013 — that ranks among the na- tion's elite, led by five-star Blake Fisher and top-100 prospect Rocco Spindler. Heralded by Fisher and Spindler for his connectedness, enthusiasm and genuineness, Quinn also flipped Sun- shine State four-star Caleb Johnson from Auburn. He also held offers from Alabama, Florida and LSU. Finally, he reeled in tight-end-turned tackle Joe Alt, whose father was a two- time Pro Bowl tackle during a 13-year NFL career, and center prospect Pat Coogan, whose offers included LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Oregon. EYE OF THE TIGER Prior to Jeff Quinn, associate head coach/defensive line coach Mike Elston was Notre Dame's most recent top 25 recruiter named by Rivals in 2019. Next year, count on newly hired de- fensive coordinator/linebackers coach Marcus Freeman to make that list. One of the reasons head coach Brian Kelly targeted Freeman as his "must get" was because he "is considered among the elite recruiters in the coaching ranks." Elston said merely watching Free- man on the trail in his first month on the job has been invigorating. "He's a tiger, and I love that," Elston said. "I love working with other coaches that attack in the recruiting cycle and build relationships and chal- lenge me as a position coach to do the same. "I'm always trying to look inward to find out how I can improve. Watching him build relationships and commu- nicate in collaboration with the staff, that's been really fun. … This is some- thing we've really enjoyed and learned from." ✦ The Future With Name, Image & Likeness Collegiate sports might be listed "amateur" in nature, but it appears inevitable that in the near future premier student-athletes will profit financially with Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) that goes with their brand. When that day arrives, recruiting coordina- tor Brian Polian said Notre Dame can and will more than hold its own on the recruiting trail. "Frankly, the power of the Notre Dame brand is national, it's not regional," he said. "I have no doubt that as the rules are put in place that we will be able to capitalize on that brand, and our student-athletes will be able to as well." However, there will be limits as well — with the parameters to be set by school president Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., and vice president/ director of athletics Jack Swarbrick — which goes back to how someone will "fit in" at Notre Dame. "We're not going to get into recruiting bat- tles with another school because they can have a guy go to a car dealership and sign autographs for $10 [each]," Polian said. "If you're picking Notre Dame, something like that is not going to be the difference in choosing this education and this atmosphere in this incredible campus. "If you want that, a car show is not going to be the difference." — Lou Somogyi Quinn reeled in a five-man offensive line class — the first at Notre Dame since 2013 — that ranks among the nation's elite. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER