Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM JUNE/JULY 2023 35 FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame was the first school to offer Charlotte (N.C.) Christian pass rusher Bryce Young in June 2022. And before a long list of other powerhouse programs would even offer Young, the Irish staff was working hard to land his commitment. Their efforts paid off when Young an- nounced his pledge to the Fighting Irish April 29, choosing head coach Marcus Freeman's program over Michigan, Penn State, Stanford, Tennessee and USC. A week before making his pledge public, Young told the Irish staff of his commitment while on campus for the Blue-Gold Game. "I hinted at it to Coach [Al] Washing- ton and Coach [Al] Golden before we went on the field," Young told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "[Director of recruit- ing] Chad Bowden took me up to Coach Freeman's office, and I committed there before the spring game started. "I had no intentions on committing that weekend. Just being up there with my class and meeting with professors, I real- ized that there's no place like Notre Dame. I had a great opportunity in front of me that I'd be a fool to not capitalize on." Many pundits assumed for quite a long time that Young would end up committing to the Irish. After all, his fa- ther is NFL Hall of Famer and Irish leg- end Bryant Young. But Young told Blue & Gold Illustrated that he was seriously considering other programs, and at various times in his recruitment, Notre Dame didn't have the lead for him. "There were other schools that had my interest, but now I know for sure that Notre Dame is the place for me," he noted. Young informed his father of his deci- sion before telling the Notre Dame staff. "He was excited," the four-star re- cruit said. "He didn't know where Notre Dame stood for me in my recruitment because I had shown interest in other schools. When I told him, he was very excited." The elder Young may have preferred that his son play at Notre Dame, but he never pressured him to follow in his footsteps. "This is my decision," Young stated. "He didn't push me at all. It's the place I feel I'll succeed the best at." Young, who measured at 6-foot-6, 245 pounds on a Notre Dame visit ear- lier this year, believes he'll fit well in the Irish defense at either the vyper or strong-side end spots. "I have the opportunity to be a starter one day at a program like that under Coach Freeman," Young said. "It's a great place for me to be. I want to bring Coach Freeman a championship." During his junior season in which he helped lead the Knights to a 10-3 record, Young recorded 92 stops, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, 1 pass broken up and 2 forced fumbles. On3 ranks him as the No. 22 edge and No. 236 overall player nationally. "On the field, I love the game," Young said. "I play with my heart every single down. I'm going to work hard to be the player and person I want to be. "Off the field, I'm a family oriented guy. I love being around people and building relationships. I love meeting new people, and getting new perspec- tives and experiences on life." Young also runs track and has a per- sonal-best time of 11.45 in the 100-me- ter dash. His father capped off his Irish career with a first-team All-America selection in his final season. He then went on to play in the NFL for 14 years with the San Fran- cisco 49ers en route to being inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ✦ Notre Dame Lands Four-Star Legacy Recruit COMMITMENT PROFILE BRYCE YOUNG Young, the son of NFL Hall of Famer and Irish legend Bryant Young, is ranked as the No. 22 edge and No. 236 overall player nationally by On3. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM FILM ANALYSIS "Bryce Young is still developing technically. He's going to benefit from continued experi- ence and college coaching, but in just looking at the physical upside, the genes, athleticism and what he's shown in the track setting, he's an intriguing prospect. He's a guy who will look a lot different after a couple years in the Notre Dame strength program. "Bryce Young is scratching the surface of how good he can be, and we'll be watching him as a senior to track that progression as a player and physically. He's a great fit for Notre Dame given the family history and the type of player he is. "Notre Dame has done really well in Char- lotte over the years. This is a really nice move for Notre Dame on the recruiting front; he's a blue-chip prospect." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power