Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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46 MARCH 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY R oanoke (Va.) Patrick Henry High had a hint of South Florida flavor six days before Bodie Kahoun verbally committed to Notre Dame football. Two former Miami head coaches, Al Golden and Randy Shannon, and current Hurricanes linebackers coach Derek Nicholson visited the three-star thumper's school May 9. Each team was in play for a pledge from On3's No. 17 prospect in Virginia and No. 63 line- backer nationally. "I called it Miami day," Patrick Henry coach Alan Fiddler told Blue & Gold Il- lustrated while trying to hold back a chuckle. Notre Dame's Golden and Florida State's Shannon — now defensive coor- dinators — and Miami's Nicholson were just three of the about 15 Power Five assistants competing for the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder's commitment last spring. However, only one team emerged. Six days after the Hurricane-themed day at his school, Kahoun decided his col- lege recruitment was over. On May 15, he committed to Notre Dame. Golden's prowess on the recruiting trail was one reason why. "I can just remember Al standing in my office," Fiddler said. "He had a presence. … When you're in a room with a head coach, you can tell they're in the room. Even though he's not the head coach, he had that same type of presence." When Kahoun committed to the Irish, he had already undergone a different college recruitment. He was a nationally recognized lacrosse prospect before he became a national football recruit. Ohio State secured his lacrosse commitment about eight months earlier. Kahoun's first pledge was probably premature. The men's lacrosse recruit- ing timeline differs from football's, so he had to claim his spot much earlier than he preferred. Meanwhile, Fiddler knew it was only a matter of time before college football programs came calling. "He's big, he can run, he's smart and he's physical," Fiddler said. "We knew at some point it would blow up. It was just when." It finally did on Jan. 16, 2023, when Virginia Tech offered him his first foot- ball scholarship. Notre Dame followed suit about three weeks later. Originally from Zionsville, Ind., Ka- houn returned to his home state March 22 for his first Notre Dame visit. He was back for the Blue-Gold Game April 22. About three weeks later, he gave up his lacrosse aspirations to play football for the Fighting Irish. "I think a lot of his decision was about the history, the alumni base, and the opportunities that come with being a Notre Dame football player and alum- nus," Fiddler said. After listening to Golden's presenta- tion, Fiddler fully understood why Ka- houn chose to play college football in South Bend instead of South Florida … and lacrosse in the Buckeye State. "It's a chance to be on a national stage," Fiddler said. "Bodie fits the mold of the kids I see playing linebacker at Notre Dame. I hope he has a great career there." ✦ Kahoun, who originally committed to Ohio State to play lacrosse, switched his pledge to Notre Dame football after a pair of visits to South Bend. PHOTO COURTESY BODIE KAHOUN BODIE KAHOUN LINEBACKER 6-3 ∙ 215 PATRICK HENRY H.S. ROANOKE, VA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 69 15 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 29 13 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 23 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 67 12 STATISTICS • Registered a single-season school-record 200 tackles (126 solo) in 11 games as a senior. Also notched 27 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 4 forced fum- bles, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 pass broken up and 1 blocked punt. • Tallied 81 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 pass broken up as a junior. NOTABLE • Invited to participate in the 2023 U.S. Army Bowl, an All-American showcase. Helped the Gold team to a 62-37 win over the Black squad Dec. 18 in Frisco, Texas, posting 5 tackles (1 for loss). • Was a finalist for the 2023 Dick Butkus Award, which goes to the top high school linebacker in the country. • Earned first-team 5A all-state accolades in 2023, plus was a first-team all-region and all-dis- trict linebacker. • Named Patrick Henry's 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. • His father, Craig, played college lacrosse at Butler and became the first Bulldog to earn All- America honors. • His sister, Gracie, plays lacrosse at the Univer- sity of Pittsburgh. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on May 15, 2023. • Will enroll at Notre Dame during the summer. • Also held offers from Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. • Recruited by defensive coordinator Al Golden. • Visited Notre Dame four times, including his official visit on June 9, 2023. 2024 PROJECTION • Notre Dame could use his combination of ath- leticism and speed as a special teams contributor. THEY SAID IT Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "A lot of people think of him as a la- crosse player, but he opened some eyes down in Frisco, Texas, at the U.S. Army Bowl. As a matter of fact, the head coach was bragging about him a lot. He said, 'He scares you when he looks at you with his intensity.' "He's around the ball on almost every play. With his intensity and overall athletic ability, I think he could be the big surprise in the class. He will become a ball player that Notre Dame fans will know." Bodie Kahoun 'Fits The Mold' Of A Notre Dame Linebacker