Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2021 51 BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame has added another early piece to its 2023 class, and it's another highly ranked one. Irvington (N.J.) High safety Adon Shuler an- nounced his pledge to the Fighting Irish on Aug. 15, picking them over Penn State and Maryland. The four-star prospect received his offer from Notre Dame May 13 and quickly built a strong relationship with the Irish coaching staff. He an- nounced his finalists in July after vis- iting all three. The choice of Notre Dame was clear to him after mulling several fac- tors over with his family. "First of all, I picked Notre Dame because of their four-for-40 pitch," Shuler told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "When I first started getting re- cruited by colleges, the main thing to my family was getting a degree that's more than your normal degree and that I wasn't going to college just to play football, but that I'd be set up for the rest of my life. "I felt that Notre Dame's educa- tion speaks for itself. You get an Ivy League-type school with athletics that can take you to a national cham- pionship." Shuler got on a call with Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mar- cus Freeman, safeties coach Chris O'Leary and director of defensive re- cruiting Chad Bowden to give them the news. "I told them I wanted to be a part of the Fighting Irish, and they were very excited," Shuler recalled. Shuler 's pledge comes very early in his recruiting process; he hasn't even started his junior season of high school. But he found a fit and didn't see any point in waiting. "My family, my coach and I felt very comfortable with Notre Dame," he said. "The coaching staff is amaz- ing. Why wait if we already know what we're going to do? There was no point in waiting if we could knock it out now." At just 15 years old, Shuler is listed at 6-0, 190 pounds, and there's no telling exactly what he will be by the time he gets to Notre Dame in a cou- ple of years. But for now, BGI projects him as an impact safety. "They said I can play anywhere in their defense," Shuler said. "I feel comfortable playing in their defense. I have more growing to do, so I just know I'll be in that secondary mak- ing plays." Shuler fell in love with Notre Dame during his campus visit July 27. "It wasn't just one thing; it was the whole campus," he said. "It's beauti- ful. I could see myself at the school. The golden dome is beautiful. Touch- down Jesus is awesome." Shuler is ready to make an impact inside Notre Dame Stadium and around the city of South Bend. "On the field, I make plays when they need to be made," he said. "I can make the open-field tackles, cover and shut down a side of the field. Off the field, I'm a person who loves the com- munity and loves to be around people. I'm going to help in the community." Rivals ranks Shuler as the No. 15 safety and No. 213 overall player in the country. He was named to the 2020 All-Essex County first-team de- fense and the 2020 Liberty Red Divi- sion first-team defense. He's the No. 2-ranked player in his home state of New Jersey. Shuler held scholarship offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syra- cuse, Temple and West Virginia. He is Notre Dame's third commit- ment of the 2023 class, joining defen- sive ends Keon Keeley of Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep and Brenan Vernon of Mentor (Ohio) High. All three are listed as four-star prospects and are ranked inside the Rivals250. ✦ FILM ANALYSIS "[Adon Shuler] plays at all three phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams. He's all over the place. He makes plays deep, offers run support in the alley, makes great tackles and is very aggressive with the ball when he's on offense. "As a football coach, what I love seeing from him is his solo tackles on special teams. It shows that he's a massive part of his football team already. It bodes well for Notre Dame. He's a high achiever, and that shows on film at such an early age." — Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Tim Hyde COMMITMENT PROFILE ADON SHULER Notre Dame Gets Early Commitment From 2023 Safety Rivals rates Shuler as a four-star talent, the No. 2 player in New Jersey, and the No. 15 safety and No. 213 overall prospect in the country. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM