Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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36 MAY 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER It didn't take a lot of convincing for Sam Pendleton to end up committing to Notre Dame. The four-star interior offensive line prospect from Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan held more than 20 scholarship offers and had taken more than 25 college vis- its by the time Notre Dame offered him in mid-March. But once the Irish did, they instantly became a contender. Pendleton knew that Irish assistant Harry Hiestand was an old-school coach who liked to see prospects in person be- fore offering them a scholarship. After their first conversation, Pend- leton was fired up that Notre Dame was interested in him and set up a visit to South Bend so that he could meet Hies- tand in person. However, the next time Hiestand and Pendleton spoke, the con- versation ended with a scholarship offer. "He told me that he watched my film and decided that I was his kind of guy," Pendleton recalled. Hiestand could've waited to offer Pendleton in person, but clearly, it was a good call to extend the scholarship when he did. "Instantly when I heard from Coach Hiestand, I was ecstatic," Pendleton continued. "It was really an honor to get recognition from a coach of that caliber, especially from a school that I loved and wanted to hear from. It was huge for me." Pendleton made it to South Bend for a visit April 8 and was blown away by what Notre Dame can offer him off the field. "Football is consistent throughout all the big-time schools, but it's not just about that for me," he explained. "I'm a big education guy. The standards and rigor at Notre Dame are something I want to go into. "I want to come out of my comfort zone, and when you do that, you grow. I want to grow to become the best per- son I can possibly be on the field, in the classroom and in my job. I feel that Notre Dame has everything there that can help me do that. "Coach Hiestand can develop me into the best offensive lineman I can be. Coach [Marcus] Freeman can help me become the best man and teammate I can be. They have everything there." Pendleton plans to major in mechani- cal engineering at Notre Dame. "It's a university that is globally known," added Pendleton. "There should not be any difficulty for me getting a job once I graduate. With the Notre Dame network and connections it has, it really helps you in the world." Between the academics at Notre Dame and strong offensive line tradition under the tutelage of position coach Harry Hiestand, picking the Irish was a no-brainer for Pendleton. "They weren't the guys that recruited me the hardest," Pendleton said. "They knew they didn't have to compete. You go up there one time, and you see what they have to offer and see the knowledge and wisdom of the coaches. They let you go home and know it'll sink in. "If you're the kind of player that fits there, it's going to hit you and you won't be able to forget about Notre Dame." During Pendleton's visit to Notre Dame, he spent about an hour and a half with Hiestand going over film. The prep standout received comparisons to a for- mer first-round pick for the Irish who has spent the past several season with the Dallas Cowboys. "He sees me — in his words — as a power guard," explained Pendleton. "I'm not the tallest guy in the world, but I bring a lot of intensity, leverage and physicality to the game. He seems me as a Zack Martin-type guy. "I've been compared to him quite a bit. Hopefully, I live up to what I'm being compared to. He sees me as a guy who can play either guard or center if need be. Wherever he wants to put me, I'll play." He also held offers from Clemson, Florida, Miami, Michigan, North Caro- lina, NC State, Penn State, South Caro- lina, Stanford, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and others. Pendleton was named to the 2021 Central Piedmont Conference All-Con- ference team as well as the 2021 HSOT North Carolina All-State first team. Reagan High went 8-3 in 2021, and Pendleton helped pave the way for the Raiders to rush for 2,338 yards and 25 touchdowns on 307 carries as a team. Reagan High averaged 212.5 yards rush- ing per game and 7.6 yards per carry. Pendleton's father, Jason, was an of- fensive lineman for William & Mary in the mid-1990s. Pendleton is ranked as the nation's No. 23 interior offensive lineman and No. 353 overall prospect per the 2023 On3 Consensus. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE SAM PENDLETON Academics And Offensive Line Tradition Led North Carolina Native To Notre Dame Pendleton, the nation's No. 23 interior offensive lineman per the 2023 On3 Consensus, committed to Notre Dame over Clemson, Florida, Michigan and others. PHOTO COURTESY SAM PENDLETON FILM ANALYSIS "Pendleton is a road grader who is at his best as a drive blocker in the run game. He has ready-made size at a shade under 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds with wide shoulders. There's not much to project physically. "He registers as a solid athlete in the com- bine setting. From a skill set perspective, Pendleton looks to be best fit along the in- terior, likely at guard where he can use his brute strength as a run blocker. He'll need to continue honing his technique and getting his pads lower, but the tools are there to be a plus run blocker at the college level — the pop in his hands and grip strength stand out in that regard." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power