Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 18, 2021 43 FOOTBALL RECRUITING always able to check protection; he's done a lot of that. He understands how to throw hot. We're doing a lot of stuff that he's going to need at the next level. It's a great asset for him. "As a sophomore, we weren't doing all of that stuff with him, but now, he has a lot of free rein. When we're build- ing a game plan, we collaborate on what we think we're going to get from the defense. In the red zone, if he gets cover zero, he can check to a rub play that we have prepared. "If you spend 1,000 hours with a kid, whether it's watching tape or on the field, you develop a great level of trust. You really become accustomed to each other and cultivate a great relationship and a high-powered offense. We feel that we're going a great job with that." COMMITTED LIFE IS TREATING ANGELI WELL Angeli made his pledge to the Fight- ing Irish back in March. He did so without ever meeting any of the Notre Dame staff in person because of the NCAA's recruiting dead period due to COVID-19. It was far from a normal re- cruiting process for Angeli, but he is thrilled with the result. "It's special," Angeli said. "Being able to hold the title of a Notre Dame commit carries a lot of weight ... It comes with a lot of respect, and you have to play like it every game. I couldn't be happier with my decision." Angeli thinks the world of Notre Dame quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. They met for the first time during Angeli's official visit in June, and their relationship has only grown stronger. "Coach Rees has been great," Angeli said. "He watched my game [versus Archbishop Hoban]. He was really fired up about my performance. I'm going out for their game against Toledo. He's really excited to see me." Because of the dead period and Notre Dame not allowing the general public into games last year, Angeli hasn't expe- rienced a game day atmosphere in South Bend yet. He can't wait to change that. "You see it on College GameDay and the stories people tell," Angeli said. "To be there in person — I'm excited to ex- perience it all and feel the atmosphere and energy on game day." Vancouver (Wash.) Union's Tobias Merriweather, Ponchatoula (La.) High's Amorion Walker and Santa Ana (Ca- lif.) Mater Dei's CJ Williams are Notre Dame's three wide receiver commits in the 2022 class. The Irish may end up taking a fourth as well, which would put a strong finish on what looks like a great group of pass catchers. "I'm fired up," Angeli stated. "Amo- rion, CJ, Tobias and a couple of guys who might come on in the tail end — I see the numbers they put up with their high school teams, and it really gets me excited that those guys are doing well. "When we get to Notre Dame, we'll do something special and get it going. I couldn't be more excited with the guys we have at the receiver position." Angeli isn't just working on class of 2022 recruits. He's after Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy wide receiver Car- nell Tate, a Chicago native who trans- ferred to the powerhouse program in Florida earlier this year. Angeli played with Tate with the Chicago-based seven-on-seven team Midwest Boom in the offseason. "We had a great run on Boom. Why not again in college and win a national championship?" Angeli said when asked what his message is to Tate. THE LEADERSHIP ROLE Despite landing offers from Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers before the start of his sophomore year of high school, Angeli didn't start a game that fall. He played in all nine of Bergen's matchups that season, but he wasn't "the guy" at the quarterback spot. Angeli was the following year and led Bergen Catholic to a 5-1 record in 2020 and threw for 919 yards and six touch- downs, but it was a shortened season with no playoffs. Now in 2021, Angeli has the reins of the top team in New Jersey per Max- Preps and is ready for a state title run. He's the face of the program and the unquestioned leader of the team. "He's going to compete, and he plays with his heart," Bellamy said. "He took a big hit in our game versus Smyrna. He took it like a man and got right back up. He encouraged the team to get the field goal when he came out." "He plays the leader role really well," class of 2023 defensive tackle Sydir Mitchell added. "He gets us ready pre- game, and he'll get our minds right for practice." ✦ Angeli is one of two standouts from Bergen Catholic committed to Notre Dame in the class of 2022. He will be joined in South Bend by teammate Jayden Bellamy, a three-star defensive back. PHOTO BY MIKE SINGER