Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 13, 2021 43 PREP PROFILES Notre Dame offered Park City (Utah) High class of 2022 athlete Carson Tabaracci a scholarship Sept. 16 and started discussions with him about hosting him for an official visit shortly thereafter. The Fighting Irish staff brought in the 6-2, 230-pounder for its marquee visit weekend of the fall when they battled USC Oct. 23 and won 31-16. Tabaracci had high praises of the visit weekend the coaches put on for him. "The program speaks for itself aca- demically and football-wise," he said. Tabaracci didn't leave South Bend until the following Monday morning, so on Sunday, he toured campus, had meetings with the coaching staff, had dinner with the coaches and more. Sitting down with head coach Brian Kelly was a highlight of the trip. "He's such a winning coach and broke the record [for most wins as Notre Dame head coach] this season," Tabaracci noted. "It was nice hearing his thoughts on where the program is going and why he wants me to be a part of it." Notre Dame special teams coor- dinator Brian Polian has been lead- ing the charge in the Irish's pursuit of Tabaracci. "Coach Polian is awesome," he added. "He's obviously the main guy who has been recruiting me. He always tells me good reasons about why I should be a part of the program and how it speaks for itself. It is always good talks with him." The visit also included a sit-down meeting with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees about how they would use Tabaracci in their offense. "Pretty much a move tight end," Tabaracci said. "I can be flexed out and do some blocking. I could get a few car- ries, too. It's what I like to hear because I'm not pigeonholed to traditional tight end, and I'm not a traditional running back. To hear I'd be doing that is good." Tabaracci visited USC the weekend of Oct. 30, which was his third official visit. His first official was used for Utah. "We'll probably do Ohio State in November and try to figure out a date for Oregon," he said. "We're figuring out the schedule." Tabaracci doesn't have an exact plan on when he wants to make a college commitment, but as an early enrollee he'll sign in December and be at his campus of choice in January. "I don't have a real date set," he said. "I'm taking my officials and will decide when I'm ready." — Mike Singer Prior to Oct. 30, Koby Keenum had lit- tle contact with the Fighting Irish coach- ing staff personally. Notre Dame running backs coach and state of Alabama recruiter Lance Tay- lor and offensive line coach Jeff Quinn contacted Florence (Ala.) Mars Hill Bible head coach Darrell Higgins back in the spring to inquire about the class of 2023 offensive line prospect. At that point, the Irish coaches wanted to see Keenum's junior film before extending an offer. Keenum paved the way for his squad to finish the regular season 7-3 and has had a strong year. "[Notre Dame] loves the way I've been playing the past few games and how I play the game," Keenum said. "They love my effort, how I finish blocks and get to the next level. I had a good feeling that they were really interested in me." Keenum visited Notre Dame Oct. 30 for the Irish's 44-34 victory over North Carolina and left South Bend armed with an offer from the Fighting Irish. It's news that he's still wrapping his head around. "When I got there, Coach Taylor told me that Coach Quinn wanted to talk to me and my dad," Keenum said. "That made me think the offer was coming, and we had a good conversation with Coach Quinn. "When he offered me, I had no words. Notre Dame is known for offensive line- men. That's a big offer for me." Keenum thinks highly of Quinn fol- lowing the visit. "I love Coach Quinn," Keenum said. "He's a great guy and, of course, a great offensive line coach. I definitely could see myself playing for him. I like how he coaches his lineman. He puts empha- sis on technique, and that's the kind of coach I'd want to be coached by." Notre Dame Stadium was rocking in the Irish's triumph over the Tar Heels. It was a unique experience that Keenum was glad he experienced. "It was crazy," he said. "The fans were really energetic. It was really neat to see their chants. I really enjoyed the game- day visit. I still can't believe how nice the campus was. It was unbelievable." Notre Dame joined Arkansas, Colo- rado, Florida State, Louisville, Missis- sippi State, Penn State and UCF on Kee- num's offer sheet. — Mike Singer Intriguing Utah Athlete Officially Visits Notre Dame Alabama Offensive Lineman Adds An Offer From The Irish CARSON TABARACCI ✪ ✪ ✪ Park City H.S. Park City, Utah Status: Offered Class: 2022 Position: Athlete Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 230 Rivals Rankings: No. 10 player in Utah and No. 42 athlete nationally KOBY KEENUM ✪ ✪ ✪ Mars Hill Bible School Florence, Ala. Status: Offered Class: 2023 Position: Offensive tackle Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 300 Rivals Rankings: No. 20 player in Alabama and No. 39 offensive tackle nationally "They love my effort, how I finish blocks and get to the next level. I had a good feeling that they were really interested in me." Keenum on Notre Dame