Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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38 AUGUST 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Cornerback is a key position for Notre Dame in the 2022 class, with head coach Brian Kelly and his staff looking to improve on the outside to compete with the high-flying passing attacks from Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and other powerhouse programs. Phoenix Brophy Prep cornerback Benjamin Morrison should help them do just that. The four-star recruit committed to Notre Dame July 15. "I think something special is hap- pening at Notre Dame, and I want to be a part of it," he told Blue & Gold Illustrated. He took unofficial visits to Ala- bama and Auburn during the first week of June and saw Notre Dame for an official visit June 11-13. He also took trips to Oregon and Washington to round out the month of June be- fore making a choice. "Washington was my dream school growing up," Morrison said. "It came down to those three schools — Wash- ington, Alabama and Notre Dame. I went to see all three, and they had their pros and cons. "After those visits, I went with my gut, and Notre Dame felt special to me. I'm excited to be a part of what they're doing with Coach [Marcus] Freeman and the recruiting class." Morrison was considered a Notre Dame lean for much of his recruit- ment until Washington surged late in June and many pundits believed he would choose the Huskies. However, the Irish rallied and swung things back into their favor ahead of his mid-July announcement. "The Notre Dame staff was very patient," Morrison explained. "It did come to a point where I was about to go to Washington, but I let my emo- tions settle. I had a week to debrief, and there's something that I kept go- ing back to about Notre Dame. "I went with my gut, it was Notre Dame, and I'm very happy with my decision." Notre Dame had a certain "it" fac- tor that helped it separate from his other finalists. "It's the brotherhood," Morrison added. "They're unselfish. It's com- petitive, but it's more, 'I've got your back.' And I respect that. Everyone wants you to be your best on and off the field, and that's something that stood out to me." Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens and special teams co- ordinator Brian Polian helped lead the charge for the Fighting Irish to win the recruitment. "Polian tells you the truth and ev- erything is straight-up honesty with him," Morrison said. "My dad had a great analogy about Coach Mickens. The more you're with him, the more you gravitate to him and connect with him. He's so genuine." One thing that is important to both Morrison and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is their big families. Morrison's father, Darryl, was a de- fensive back for the Washington Red- skins (1993-96). He played his college ball at Arizona and was a member of the "Desert Swarm" defense that memorably held No. 1 Washington to just three points in 1992. Darryl currently serves as the lead pastor of Valley Gate Church in Tempe, Ariz., and his wife, JoAnn, leads the church's women's ministry. Three of Benjamin's sisters have played various sports at the Division I level. Naomi is currently a gymnast for Michigan, Grace just finished her fourth season with the Appalachian State volleyball team, and Faith was a gymnast for Washington from 2014-16. Morrison's brother Sam played cornerback at Arizona (2015-18) and San Diego State (2019). Morrison is one of five siblings, and Freeman has six kids of his own. During Morrison's official visit, he saw how Freeman treated his chil- dren in big-family settings that he is familiar with. That clicked as well. "Coach Freeman was a deal closer," Morrison stated. "He's everything I've wanted in a defensive coordinator. He's a great guy, and how he acts around his family was big to me — how he spent time with them and talked to them. Seeing how he interacts with his family made the decision easier for me." Morrison will enroll at Notre Dame next summer and is locked in with his Irish pledge. "I'm set in stone with Notre Dame," he said. "I'm not going to take any other visits." During the 2020 season, Morri- son recorded 36 tackles, three tack- les for loss, one pass defended and two blocked field goals in five games played. He also added six receptions for 83 yards. ✦ FILM ANALYSIS "[Benjamin] Morrison is quick in run support and a strong athlete with good burst. He's effective against the run and even more effec- tive when the ball is in the air. "Shows a smooth backpedal, can turn and stay with swift receivers vertically, and is fast enough to recover when caught out of posi- tion. He shows an impressive skill set and a great attitude." — Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming COMMITMENT PROFILE BENJAMIN MORRISON Notre Dame Edges Washington For Four-Star Corner Morrison — the No. 4 player in Arizona and No. 30 cornerback nationally per Rivals — con- sidered Washington his dream school, but ulti- mately decided that he wanted to be part of "something special" at Notre Dame. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM "The Notre Dame staff was very patient. It did come to a point where I was about to go to Washington, but I let my emotions settle. I had a week to debrief, and there's something that I kept going back to about Notre Dame." MORRISON ON PICKING THE IRISH OVER THE HUSKIES