Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM AUGUST 2022 37 Otting, who is the No. 35 interior offensive lineman nationally per On3, picked the Fighting Irish over Iowa, Kansas State and others. PHOTO COURTESY LILLY STEWART "I've always dreamt about Notre Dame — growing up Catholic and going to a Catholic school. It's been a dream of mine to play for the Fighting Irish." OTTING FILM ANALYSIS "Otting is a good athlete with developmen- tal upside along the offensive line. He's a fluid mover with very good flexibility. He moves well to the second level and dominates the competition as a run blocker. You can see the flexibility on display as he gets underneath the pads of opposing defensive linemen, who are usually shorter. "Otting's strong multi-sport profile is an- other positive indicator. He's a good high school basketball player, showing off his move- ment skills and coordination on the hardwood. Otting also throws the shot put, discus and javelin in track. He made some good progress in the shot put as a junior, with a 48-5.5 foot personal best — a good mark for an offensive line prospect. I think we'll see Otting's game continue to improve as he develops physically. He does not look like a finished product from a size or strength perspective, which points to room for continued growth. We could see him take off physically after a year or so in Matt Balis' strength program." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power BY MIKE SINGER Topeka (Kan.) Hayden class of 2023 interior offensive lineman Joe Otting was scheduled to take official visits to Iowa, Kansas State and Notre Dame in June, but only one of those trips ended up being necessary. Otting picked up an offer from Notre Dame May 4, and the Irish instantly be- came the team to beat in his recruit- ment. About a month later, Otting made it to South Bend for the Notre Dame Lineman's Challenge camp. And, on June 7, Otting let the world know that he'd be committing to the Irish. "I've always dreamt about Notre Dame — growing up Catholic and going to a Catholic school," Otting said. "It's been a dream of mine to play for the Fighting Irish." The Irish initially showed some in- terest in Otting last fall, when Notre Dame analyst Dre Brown invited the 6-3, 285-pounder out for the Georgia Tech game. But other than that, the staff's interest in Otting was minimal. The visit experience was one that Ot- ting cherished, though. "The game-day atmosphere and see- ing the tradition and history of Notre Dame was pretty sweet," he said. Otting went a while before hearing from Notre Dame again, and the new staff 's interest in him came together quickly. Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees went out to Kansas and saw Otting go through various offensive line movement drills in early May dur- ing the spring evaluation period. "Later on that day, I got on the phone with Coach [Harry] Hiestand," Otting said. "Talking to him and getting the offer was a very exciting moment. It was always my dream offer, but I had to go down there and made sure everything lines up." And he did just that, going through the Lineman's Challenge Camp June 4 and getting a visit experience that weekend. "I was working to impress the staff and validate the offer," Otting said. "I was preparing for the camp when school got out. It was good to learn from all the coaches, and even Zack Martin." Hiestand coached Otting and the other offensive linemen who partici- pated in a group setting, while Martin — a former Notre Dame lineman under Hiestand and five-time first-team NFL All-Pro — worked closely with him. The day after the camp is when Otting informed the staff of some big news. "I had the camp in the day and dinner with Coach Hiestand that night," Otting recalled. "I went back to the hotel and talked with my family and the next day, I had meetings with Coach Hiestand and Coach [Marcus] Freeman. That's when I told them that I was committing. They were very excited." Otting officially visited Notre Dame June 17 and canceled his other trips. He's been going strong with his Irish pledge and isn't looking back. "It's a big relief," Otting said. "The process can be stressful as a recruit. I have it over with, can focus on my high school team and be a kid." Otting, who is the No. 4 prospect in Kansas and the No. 35 interior offensive lineman nationally per On3, will play guard or center for the Irish. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE JOE OTTING Notre Dame Pledge Is A Dream For Kansas Lineman