Blue and Gold Illustrated

August 2023

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM AUGUST 2023 43 FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame recruiting always heats up in the summer, and the Fighting Irish picked up six new commitments in the month of June alone. One of those pros- pects was Nate Roberts, who pledged to head coach Marcus Freeman's 2025 class. Roberts, a standout from Washing- ton (Okla.) High who is ranked as the nation's No. 11 tight end and No. 246 overall player by On3, announced his commitment to Notre Dame, selecting the Irish over a handful of other top- notch programs June 17. "I picked Notre Dame over Ohio State," Roberts told On3's Chad Sim- mons about his commitment. "Those two and Clemson were schools I was re- ally high on. Things went back and forth a few times, and all three have shown a lot of interest, but this last Notre Dame visit put the cherry on top. I know where I need to be and that is Notre Dame." Roberts was a busy man at the be- ginning of his summer, taking trips to Georgia, Auburn, Clemson, Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame. His visit to South Bend was June 13, and he also got to see campus for the first time April 15. "From the first visit, I knew Notre Dame was the place for me," Roberts continued. "I had that feeling and there was no reason for me to wait any longer. It is early, but I am ready to commit to Notre Dame and get to work with Coach [Gerad] Parker." The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder holds scholarship offers from the schools mentioned above, plus Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, Alabama, Wisconsin, Miami, Texas A&M and Oregon. The four-star prospect is excited about join- ing a program that contends for the title of Tight End U. "The tradition and the culture that they have at Notre Dame are things I like a lot," Roberts said. "The staff is amaz- ing and the academics are top-notch. They also have had success at tight end and that meant a lot to me. "I always wanted to go somewhere that uses the heck out of the tight end position, and the starting tight end for Notre Dame these past 12 years has been drafted. No other school can say that." Notre Dame offered Roberts as part of its Pot of Gold recruiting initiative back on St. Patrick's Day, where the staff essentially kicked off its class of 2025 efforts by offering several dozen prospects. "Coach Freeman and Coach Parker have shown great interest in me," he said. "They have shown a lot of love. Coach Parker has gone over offensive periods with me, and he has shown how I can fit into his offense, so there is a lot to like there. Coach Freeman has been great with me, too. He has shown me ways I can fit into their culture and how they can make me a better football player and a better person. "Coach Freeman is doing a great job and Notre Dame will only go up from here. We have gone over many slide- shows, and he has talked to me in per- son. He's done a great job with me and my family. I think Notre Dame will have a great season this year and in the seasons ahead with what Coach Freeman is doing and the recruiting classes coming in. "I am ready to be that role model for other guys that will commit." In leading Washington High to an un- defeated record and a 2022 Oklahoma 2A state championship, Roberts caught 33 passes for 705 yards with 11 touch- downs. Nearly half (324) of those yards came after catch. Roberts was named to The Oklaho- man's 2022 Little All-City first-team offense. He also stars on the Washing- ton High baseball team. Roberts is the younger brother of Jake Roberts, a 2020 three-star tight end who signed with North Texas out of high school and transferred to Baylor this past offseason. The younger Roberts became Notre Dame's second pledge of the 2025 cycle, joining Miami Palmetto interior defen- sive lineman Davion Dixon, who picked the Irish in April. ✦ Fighting Irish Land Impressive 2025 Oklahoma Tight End FILM ANALYSIS "Nate Roberts looks like the perfect Notre Dame tight end. He looks part-Michael Mayer and part- Cole Kmet to me. In so many plays on his film, I see Mayer and Kmet coming and going. He's an out- standing football player. I watched the other tight ends in the top 10 of the rankings, and if he's not the No. 1 tight end, then he's No. 2. And he's only a sophomore on his film. He's a young guy who will keep growing. "This is big. There's only 21 miles from his high school to the Norman campus. Notre Dame went into SEC country — which is now Oklahoma — and got one of the premier football players in the 2025 class. Kudos to the staff." — Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Tim Hyde COMMITMENT PROFILE NATE ROBERTS "I always wanted to go some- where that uses the heck out of the tight end position, and the starting tight end for Notre Dame these past 12 years has been drafted. No other school can say that." ROBERTS Roberts, who notched 33 receptions for 705 yards with 11 touchdowns as a sophomore, is rated as the No. 11 tight end and No. 246 overall player in the 2025 class by On3. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM

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