Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2021 41 BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame's search for a quar- terback commit in the 2022 class has come to an end. The program's first offer in the cy- cle went out to Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic's Steve Angeli on Aug. 17 prior to the start of the 2020 cam- paign, and the four-star passer an- nounced his pledge to the Fighting Irish on March 4. "When the dead period got pushed back again, I hunkered down and wanted to get this done with," Angeli told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I've been deciding on Notre Dame for about a month — talking to my family and coaches. "Then yesterday, [Bergen Catho- lic] Coach Vito Campanile talked to Coach [Tommy] Rees three times and told him that he thinks it's time. He gave Coach Rees the hint, and I talked to him later that night. "I told him I wanted to commit, and he set up a Zoom for me to talk to Coach [Brian] Kelly with my fam- ily and coaches." Angeli's recruitment started prior to his sophomore season with his first scholarship offer coming from Ohio State. He went on to receive 23 offers in total, including LSU, Michi- gan, Oregon, Penn State and Stan- ford. "It's been a long process, but I'm so happy to finally be able to make this official," he said. "I can't be any more excited than I am right now. I'm excited to let the world know that I'm coming to South Bend." Angeli has formed a close relation- ship with Rees over the past several months. They've had plenty of text message conversations, phone calls and Zoom chats in the past eight months or so. "He was super excited," Angeli said of Rees regarding the moment he committed. "He told me that with everything in recruiting, he keeps coming back to my intangibles and who I am. He told me to keep work- ing hard and that my talent is out of this world. He's super excited and happy for me." Most pundits projected Angeli to land at Notre Dame immediately af- ter the 6-3, 215-pounder received his scholarship offer from the Fighting Irish. Deep down, Angeli also knew it would be Notre Dame. "During my first conversation with Coach Rees, I was blown away with how much we connected and how right it felt," he said. "When I got the offer from them, I got a feeling that I haven't gotten with any other school or coach." The expectations that come with being the quarterback at Notre Dame are extremely high. This is a test that Angeli welcomes with open arms. "It holds a lot of value, responsi- bility and honor," Angeli said. "I'm ready to take that challenge head on. I want to represent the university in the right way on the field and in the classroom. "I'm coming to work and bring national championships to this pro- gram." New Jersey had a shortened sea- son in 2020, and Bergen Catholic was only able to play six games. Angeli completed 68 of 115 throws (59.1 per- cent) for 919 yards with six touch- downs and three interceptions. He also added three rushing scores to lead the Crusaders to the No. 1 rank- ing in New Jersey per MaxPreps. Angeli was selected by New Jersey coaches to the 2020 Super Football Conference United Red first-team of- fense. Rivals ranks Angeli as a four-star prospect, the No. 5 player in New Jersey and the No. 13 pro-style quar- terback in the country. Angeli is Notre Dame's eighth commitment in the 2022 class. He will join a quarterback room that — barring any departures — will in- clude rising junior Brendon Clark, rising sophomore Drew Pyne, and incoming freshmen Tyler Buchner and Ron Powlus III. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE STEVE ANGELI Notre Dame Lands Its Quarterback For The 2022 Class Angeli — a four-star prospect, the No. 5 player in New Jersey and the No. 13 pro-style quarterback in the country — pledged to the Fighting Irish on March 4. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM FILM ANALYSIS "Angeli doesn't have an extensive track record on the field, but in just over one season as the full- time starter for Bergen Catholic, Angeli has really impressed with his physical abilities. He has a strong arm, solid mechanics, and above-average footwork. Angeli developed a good sense of timing with his receivers and understands who to throw the ball to and when to throw it. "He's played against some of the best competition in the country, and he understands when to take risks throwing the ball and when to pull it down and run with it. Angeli is a tough runner that isn't afraid to lower his shoulder, but he isn't going to pick up huge chunks of yards on the ground. "There is still plenty Angeli has to learn about deciphering a defense and moving to his second, third or fourth read, but he has the physical tools to be an elite quarterback. Throwing the ball accurately is something Angeli has done well›, but there are times when he struggles with his consistency." — Rivals East Coast recruiting analyst Adam Friedman