Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2021 39 BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame landed a key commit- ment for its 2022 class when Hilton Head (S.C.) High outside linebacker Jaylen Sneed picked the Fighting Irish over fellow finalist Oregon. "Notre Dame is the choice for me because of the family atmosphere, the coaching staff and how I felt when I stepped on campus," Sneed told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "It feels like home and it's where I want to be. It was exactly how they described it; it's perfect." Sneed took an official visit to Or- egon June 4-6, and the Ducks gave him something to think about. How- ever, his Notre Dame trip was June 14-16, during which he informed Irish defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman and head coach Brian Kelly that he wanted to commit. He waited to make his decision public until July 12. The reason for that date? Because he wants to help the Fighting Irish win its 12th na- tional championship. His mom had tears of joy when he informed her that he wanted to com- mit to Notre Dame. "We were sitting in the office talk- ing and then I took my mom aside and said, 'I want to do this now.' So I told Coach Freeman, and then we went in Coach Brian Kelly's office and told him too," Sneed said. "They were very happy and were hyped about it. "Coach Kelly said, 'Now it's time to get to work.'" Sneed can't wait to get to work, ei- ther. He plans to enroll early at Notre Dame in January 2022 and compete in next year's spring practices. "My excitement level is definitely a 10 out of 10," he said. "I can finally wear all of my Notre Dame stuff without people asking me all of the time if I'm going there. Now I can tell them, 'Yes, I am going to the Univer- sity of Notre Dame.'" It's well documented that Sneed has a very close relationship with Freeman. It got kick-started because his high school head coach, BJ Payne, has a relationship with Freeman that goes back more than 15 years. The Irish offered Sneed in January, and Freeman instantly clicked with the star defender. "He definitely was one of the big- gest factors in me committing to Notre Dame," Sneed said. "He re- cruited me every day, and we talked on the phone at least two or three times every week. We still talk a lot. He's a great coach, and we have a great relationship." Sneed has no plans on entertaining other suitors now that he's given his public commitment to Notre Dame. "My recruitment is definitely shut down," he said. Sneed has played 18 career varsity games, and has totaled 136 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 35 quar- terback hits, seven passes broken up, five forced fumbles, one interception and four fumble recoveries. In just three games during a short- ened junior season in 2020, Sneed had 28 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks, 14 quarterback hits, one pass broken up, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was named to the All-Region 7AAAA team. Rivals ranks Sneed as the No. 2 prospect in South Carolina, and the No. 5 outside linebacker and No. 46 overall player nationally. His 6.0 Ri- vals recruit ranking has him on the cusp of five-star status. Sneed, who is committed to play- ing in the 2022 Under Armour All- American Game, was named line- backer MVP at the Atlanta regional Rivals camp April 25 and the Rivals Five-Star Challenge June 17. According to Rivals, Sneed held 34 offers in total, including Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and USC. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE JAYLEN SNEED The Irish Earn Commitment From Prized, Blue-Chip Linebacker Rivals ranks Sneed as the No. 2 prospect in South Carolina, and the No. 5 outside linebacker and No. 46 overall recruit nationally. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM "My excitement level is definitely a 10 out of 10." SNEED ON CHOOSING THE IRISH FILM ANALYSIS "Jaylen [Sneed] has the height, length, speed, range and pass-rushing skills to become a dominating player at the next level. A smart, technically sound backer, he is hard to control coming off the edge. He shows a very good understanding of the game. "At times last season, he was asked to pin his ears back and rush the passer, and he also proved to be a good run stuffer. He shows an impressive swim move, the ability to quickly disengage and the lateral agility to slip past blockers and nab the ball carrier." — Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming