Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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62 MARCH 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2023 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY TODD D. BURLAGE Joe Otting knew all along where he wanted play college football. His task was getting the Notre Dame coaches to share in his plan. "Growing up Catholic and going to a Catholic high school, I've always dreamed about Notre Dame," Otting said. And everybody loves it when a plan comes together, under whatever circumstances. Otting 's recruitment was short and succinct. The four-star offensive lineman out of Topeka (Kan.) Hayden Catho- lic High School picked up an offer from Notre Dame on May 4, 2022, only a few hours after Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees paid a visit to Topeka to watch Otting workout. Offer in hand, Otting came to South Bend about a month later for the Notre Dame Lineman's Chal- lenge camp. "It was always my dream offer," Ot- ting said of the prospects of becoming a Fighting Irish. "But I had to go to the linemen camp to make sure everything lined up." Otting did go and "everything" did line up. And, one day after camp, the pride of Topeka became the 14th verbal commitment of the Irish's 2023 class. "The rich tradition of Fighting Irish football and their development of offensive linemen are pretty im- pressive," Otting said. The linemen camp wasn't Otting's first trip to campus. He was in town for the Georgia Tech game in No- vember 2021, an experience he cher- ished while still working toward and hoping for an Irish offer. "The game-day atmosphere and seeing the tradition and history of Notre Dame was pretty sweet," said Otting, a 3.7 GPA student and also an all-conference basketball player at Hayden. Less than two weeks after that visit, former Irish head coach Brian Kelly was out the door, and dur- ing the transitional period between Kelly and Marcus Freeman, Otting's recruiting quieted. When Freeman and the new staff set- tled in, Notre Dame came calling again, and Otting was still listening — and thankful. ✦ Recruitment Wish Granted, Joe Otting Is Ready To Start His Journey Otting, a three-star prospect and the No. 41 interior offensive lineman in the country per On3, was tabbed as the 2022 Sports In Kansas Lineman of the Year. PHOTO BY LILLY STEWART JOE OTTING INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-5 · 271 HAYDEN H.S. TOPEKA, KAN. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 41 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 34 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 22 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 15 3 NOTABLE • 2022 Sports In Kansas Lineman of the Year. • 2022 Wichita Eagle Kansas 3A first-team of- fense. • 2022 Kansas Football Coaches Association 3A first-team offense and Top-11 team. • 2022 and 2021 Sports In Kansas 3A All-Class first-team offense. • 2021 TopSports.news Top 22 All-Shawnee County. • Also plays basketball and track & field at high school. • Kansas 4A state qualifier in the shot put and regional qualifier in the discus and javelin in spring 2022 with personal bests of 48-5½ in the shot put, 136-2 in the discus and 160-3 in the javelin. • His father, Eric, played football at Central Mis- souri, and his mother, Debbie, played college bas- ketball at Washburn University. • His brother Andy played tight end for Division II Pittsburg State, and his sister Taylor played on Division II Emporia State's volleyball team. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on June 7, 2022. • Picked up an offer from Notre Dame on May 4, 2022. • Also considered Kansas State, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. • Recruited by offensive line coach Harry Hies- tand. • Visited Notre Dame four times, including his official visit on June 17, 2022. 2023 PROJECTION • Otting will likely redshirt as a true freshman. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Otting is a good athlete with develop- mental 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 defen- sive linemen, who are usually shorter. "Otting's strong multi-sport profile is another positive indicator. He's a good high school basket- ball player, showing off his movement 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 im- prove 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." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "He's quick off the ball and shows violent hands. He also shows excellent footwork. A natural knee bender, Otting is just an explosive and coordinated mover. "His good athleticism translates well to the run game where he shows the range to get out in space and effectively block down on backers. Ot- ting has the frame to weigh over 300 and the versatility to play either tackle or guard."