Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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56 MARCH 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY J eff Carnazzo has had a front-row seat for the last four years, watching 2024 wide receiver Logan Saldate grow into a Notre Dame football player. In his nearly quarter-century career as a head foot- ball coach, the Salinas (Calif.) Palma program leader has never had a player who exceeded the price of admission like Saldate. The now 5-foot-11, 185-pounder finished the 2024 cycle as a four-star recruit and On3's No. 53 wide receiver nationally and No. 25 prospect in Cali- fornia. Before he flipped to the Fighting Irish on July 21, Saldate had six other Power Five scholarship offers. He initially ver- bally committed to Oregon State in May. Saldate is one of the most impressive prospects Carnazzo has ever seen. "He remains the only player I've had in my 24 years as a head coach that I had come up to the varsity as a freshman," Carnazzo told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I don't think it's great for a 14-year-old to play against 18-year-olds, but this kid was ready. He became the best wide receiver in the league as a freshman." There is no official record of Saldate's freshman stats. However, during his last three seasons, he registered 155 catches for 2,328 yards and 30 touchdowns in 35 games. As a senior, he was a total game- changer. He caught 68 passes for 1,242 yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 games, helping the Palma Chieftains win the CIF Division 4-A state championship, their first-ever state football title. Saldate's achievements came after years of hard work. "He has a relentless work ethic and is dedicated to perfecting his craft daily," Carnazzo said. "I have to step in and tell him, 'Look, stop. I need you to slow down a little bit here.' "All he wants to do when he wakes up in the morning is, what can I do to become a better wide receiver?" Carnazzo utilized Saldate's skill set at the prep level in various ways, such as making him the No. 1 wide receiver in 3-by-1 sets and sometimes the No. 3 receiver in those same sets. If Saldate wants to impact the Irish as a freshman, his best chance to play in front of sold-out stadiums is at slot wide receiver. "It's probably not a fair comparison, but we have the good fortune of watching Steph Curry all the time here," Carnazzo said. "His ability to create separation and get shots off — like Logan's ability to create separation to get open — is why he catches so many balls and makes so many big plays. That will allow him to be a really good slot receiver." ✦ Saldate, a four-star receiver from Salinas (Calif.) Palma School, caught 68 passes for 1,242 yards and 15 touch- downs as a senior while helping his team win the CIF Division 4-A state championship, their first-ever title. PHOTO COURTESY LOGAN SALDATE LOGAN SALDATE WIDE RECEIVER 5-11 ∙ 185 PALMA SCHOOL GILROY, CALIF. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 53 25 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 101 62 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 84 37 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 53 30 STATISTICS • Finished his prep career with 144 receptions for 2,255 yards and 30 touchdowns. • Set single-season career highs in catches (68), receiving yards (1,242) and touchdown grabs (15) in 15 games as a senior. Also had 5 tackles and an interception on defense. NOTABLE • Earned an invitation to the Polynesian Bowl. • Tabbed first-team all-state in the 4A classification in 2023. • Was the Monterey Herald's 2023 Offensive Player of the Year. • Earned a spot on the All-Monterey County Team in 2023. • Named the Pacific Coast Athletic League (PCAL) — Gabilan Most Valuable Player in both 2022 and 2023. • Helped Palma claim its first-ever state football championship in 2023. • Added a varsity letter in wrestling and four in track. • Achieved a mark of 24 feet and half an inch in the long jump, the third-best mark in California in spring 2023. • His brother, Chase, wrestles for Michigan State and was the country's top 152-pounder in the 2020 class. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on July 21, 2023. • Will enroll at Notre Dame during the summer. • Was previously committed to Oregon State from May 29, 2023, to July 21, 2023. • Recruited by former wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey and current wide receivers coach Mike Brown. • Visited Notre Dame two times, including his official visit on Sept. 2, 2023, for the Tennessee State game. 2024 PROJECTION • A likely redshirt candidate, but could also contrib- ute at the slot wide receiver position. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Saldate has versatility. He can work as a Z wide receiver and stretch defenses with his speed, but also has the wiggle and change of direction that you can use out of the slot. Primarily, he's targeted in the intermediate areas at his high school. "Saldate shows good ball skills and can separate with his routes. He's a fluid mover in addition to his speed and can maximize yardage after the catch." Wide Receiver Logan Saldate Has A Burning Desire To Keep Improving