Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1491978
66 MARCH 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2023 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY TYLER HORKA Not everyone in Chris Terek's shoes would have come away from Notre Dame Stadium fully convinced in the future of the Fighting Irish football program. But that's exactly what he did anyway. Terek's official visit to Notre Dame came on Oct. 15, 2022. That's the day the Irish lost as a double-digit home favorite for the second time in the same season. Morale was low — externally. But inter- nally, it was as high as it could be mo- ments after Notre Dame's 16-14 loss to Stanford, an eventual 3-9 team that bid farewell to longstanding head coach David Shaw at the end of the season. "Everything that Coach [Marcus] Free- man said to the team after the loss re- ally made me realize what his vision for the program was," Terek told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "And you could tell that the players were all buying in, too. The energy there was different." Notre Dame offered Terek a scholarship on Oct. 19, three days before the start of a five-game winning streak following Free- man's empowering locker room speech. Terek, a product of a suburb in Chicago, committed to Wisconsin in June 2022. It was going to take a lot for Notre Dame to flip him from the Badgers at the 11th hour. A lot wasn't too much for Freeman and company. Terek changed his commitment to Notre Dame on Nov. 27 and signed with the Irish on Dec. 21. Even when the Irish were at a crossroads in the immediate aftermath of a sour defeat, the program was promising enough to bolster the re- cruiting class with a monumental flip. ✦ Chris Terek Flipped From One O-Line Powerhouse To Another Terek, a three-star recruit and the No. 9 prospect in Illinois per On3, originally pledged to Wisconsin but switched to Notre Dame after a coaching change. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND CHRIS TEREK INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE 6-4 · 295 GLENBARD WEST H.S. GLEN ELLYN, ILL. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 53 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 56 17 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 228 12 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 59 14 STATISTICS • Paved the way for Glenbard West to run for 3,780 yards in 13 games in 2022. • Reportedly never allowed a sack during his high school career. NOTABLE • 2022 Illinois High School Football Coaches As- sociation Class 8A first-team all-state. • 2022 West Suburban Conference top offensive lineman. • 2022 West Suburban Silver All-Conference team. • 2022 Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team. • Also has participated in wrestling and rugby. • Was a high school teammate of Notre Dame preferred walk-on kicker Marcello Diomede, a class of 2023 recruit. • From the same high school that produced for- mer Fighting Irish offensive lineman Chris Watt. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Wisconsin on June 29, 2022. • Announced that he picked up an offer from Notre Dame on Oct. 19, 2022. • Decommitted from the Badgers and announced his commitment to the Irish on Nov. 27, 2022. • Recruited by offensive line coach Harry Hies- tand. • Visited Notre Dame twice, including his official visit on Dec. 3, 2022. 2023 PROJECTION • Terek will likely redshirt as a true freshman. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "He's a gritty, physical offensive line pros- pect. He plays with great leverage and gets a nice push off the ball. He's at his best as a straight- ahead, drive blocker in the run game. His skill set is ideally what you want in a pro-style offensive like Notre Dame's where they're lining up and wanting to run the ball downhill. Terek brings that physical presence that Notre Dame looks for, and they've signed a lot of interior offensive linemen like this over the years. "Terek has transformed himself physically over the past year. He's put in a lot of work to reshape his body and lost a ton of weight. The work ethic and dedication are there. He still has that big frame; he's a wide-hipped guy who can carry a lot of weight. Once he gets to Notre Dame, you'll see him put on more solid weight after a year or two with Coach [Matt] Balis. "He's very strong and plays with good technique. He has a nasty edge and works to finish blocks. Terek's strength is as a run blocker at this stage. He moves fairly well, but he can continue to improve his footwork. He has the tools to be proficient as a pass blocker." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "Terek dominates as a run blocker from his right tackle position. Flexible with a natural knee bend, he shows the athletic ability to play either tackle or guard at the next level. Terek shows excellent feet and strong hands, stays low and is very physical. "Technically sound with a tenacious style of play, Terek loves to mix it up. He's known for his ability to pancake defenders on a regular basis. He shows the ability to adjust and sustain in space, gives great effort and has the desire to always make the second block. Terek is just a terrific talent with All- American potential."