Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1338415
32 MARCH 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY PATRICK ENGEL In a way, Pat Coogan had no other choice but to be a Notre Dame fan. H e ' s f ro m C h i c a g o ' s southwest suburbs, where in many circles, affinity for the Irish is intertwined with everyday life. His father and grandfather are lifelong Notre Dame denizens. His first trip to Notre Dame Sta- dium came when he was, in his estimation, "5 or 6." "I'm a die-hard, South Side Chicago-type kid. I play that way, too," said Coogan, a three-star of- fensive lineman from Chi- cago's Marist High School. "Notre Dame is instilled in the South Side. Growing up, everything was Notre Dame." Coogan's childhood day- dreams involved him run- ning out of the tunnel in a gold hel- met — the typical fantasies for many boys in his spot. One can imagine, then, his hunger when the idea of playing for the Irish became a realis- tic goal, and the euphoria when the opportunity finally arrived in March 2020. "It was kind of surreal," Coogan said. "It took my breath away. I'm like, 'Did that really just happen?' It was a pinch-me moment. You get those moments where you don't think it's reality. It was awesome. Ev- eryone was super excited and super proud." Not three weeks after receiving the offer, he was committed and chose Notre Dame over offers from Ohio State, Oklahoma, LSU, Stanford and others. The decision was pretty simple, he says now. "From the get-go, I knew what I wanted in a school: A great education system, great football, great con- nections, great coaches, great people," Coogan said. "Anything you need to suc- ceed as a football player and as a person off the field, Notre Dame excels in all those phases. "I'm beyond glad they found me and I found them. It's a perfect match." Coogan made himself into a major Division I re- cruit and came onto Notre Dame's radar with a junior season growth spurt and his own work to fill out his frame. Coogan was Marist's starting right tackle as a sophomore, at 6-3 and 225 pounds. To get more attention from college coaches, though, he needed to add some mass. He worked out each weekday start- ing at 5:45 a.m., lifting weights with Marist teammates in formal offseason workouts or by himself on days off. Protein shakes, meat and eggs were daily diet staples to help his quest. He grew three inches and added 75 points in the next 18 months. "I was eating away because I was working out so much," Coogan said. "But it was good for me. It was nat- ural weight gain that felt good. It didn't slow me down." Coogan moved to the interior line as a junior and will play there again in his abbreviated spring senior sea- son. Notre Dame sees him in the same spot. Within two months of the season ending, he will be on campus in South Bend to live out a dream. "I really don't think it will fully hit until I step foot on campus," Coogan said. "I know I'm going to Notre Dame to play football, but it's still like, 'Wow, this is crazy, and I'm ac- tually doing this.' "I'm ready for it, and I think I'm built for this. I'm going to take it head-on." ✦ Pat Coogan Finds His Fit In Childhood Favorite Notre Dame Coogan chose the Fighting Irish over offers from college football powers such as Ohio State, Oklahoma and LSU. PHOTO COURTESY PAT COOGAN PAT COOGAN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-4 · 290 MARIST H.S. PALOS, HEIGHTS ILL. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ^ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 36* 6 ^ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 73* 21 # ✪ ✪ ✪ — 31^ 15 * Ranked as OT; ^ ranked as OG NOTABLE • Born on Nov. 18, 2002. • No. 1 player in the state of Illinois for the 2021 class per PrepRedZone.com. • 2019 Daily Southtown All-Area Team and Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference first-team offense. • Participated in the Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Chicago three years in a row. • Played at the same high school as 2015-18 Irish tight end Nic Weishar. RECRUITMENT • Grew up a huge Notre Dame fan and received his long-awaited scholarship offer from the Fight- ing Irish on March 26, 2020. • Received offers from LSU, Ohio State, Okla- homa and Texas the following week. • Committed to Notre Dame on April 15, 2020. • Recruited by offensive line coach Jeff Quinn. 2021 PROJECTION • Coogan will likely redshirt as a true freshman. THEY SAID IT Rivals Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helm- holdt: "Coogan's value is amplified by his versa- tility. We evaluate prospects on their individual abilities, but when you consider him among an offensive line group where he can effectively play all five positions and plug in wherever there is greatest need, his value rises. When this 2021 class is signed, sealed and delivered, Coogan's presence makes it a more versatile unit." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "He can be seen playing both offensive tackle and guard, and defensive tackle. He shows good foot- work and speed for his size, can dominate the leverage game and has the work ethic that the scouts love to see in an offensive lineman. "A tough and determined ballplayer, he never lets up until the whistle. He shows remarkable balance, change of direction and a great takeoff."