Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 MARCH 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY W hen first-year offensive tackle Styles Prescod spoke to reporters on Feb. 2, the Fishers (Ind.) Hamilton Southeastern four-star recruit was 12 weeks removed from his final high school game. On3's No. 250 overall player and No. 15 interior offensive lineman in the 2024 class, the 6-foot-6 Prescod played his senior season at about 265 pounds. Fac- ing defenders with that frame is feasible in the prep ranks but less desirable at the college level. Soon after Prescod and the HSE Roy- als lost to Westfield (Ind.) High 24-21 in the Indiana Class 6A regional cham- pionship on Nov. 10, he began working with his personal strength and condi- tioning coach, Eze Obiora. The objec- tive was to improve his weightlifting credentials, increase strength, maintain fast footwork and add weight. Whether Prescod achieved his first three offseason goals will be evaluated when spring practice begins in March. On3's No. 5 recruit in Indiana, Prescod is among 15 scholarship football fresh- men who enrolled at Notre Dame in mid-January. As for his weight gain, so far, so good. Prescod was up 15 pounds to 280 as of early February. He'd like to add another 5-10 pounds before spring ball begins. "It's very reasonable," Prescod said. Second-year Notre Dame offen- sive line coach Joe Rudolph will decide whether competing for the left tackle vacancy left by Joe Alt's NFL Draft dec- laration is reasonable. Until Prescod adds another 15 pounds, it is not exactly practical. Almost every Irish starting left tackle in the 21st century has hit the 300-pound benchmark. According to Prescod, Rudolph has not provided him with that number. However, his comments suggest as much. "His big thing is strength," Prescod said. "He's always challenging to get bigger and stronger in the weight room." Prescod signed with the Irish on Dec. 20 over 28 scholarship offers, including Alabama, Iowa, Michigan and Wis- consin. Notre Dame's proven record of producing NFL-caliber offensive linemen was a primary deciding fac- tor in his decision. While Prescod's journey to follow Notre Dame's NFL lineage might be several pounds, plays and practices away, Rudolph and the Irish have provided him the platform to get there. "Coach Rudolph is a great coach," Prescod said. "He's an energetic guy. He's been around, and he knows what he's talking about." As for his playing weight, Prescod will rely on Rudolph's perspective for that, too. "Whatever he needs me to weigh to play, that's the weight I'm going to be at," Prescod said. ✦ Prescod was named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 All-State squad in both 2022 and 2023. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER STYLES PRESCOD OFFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-6 ∙ 273 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN H.S. FISHERS, IND. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 250 15 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 31 6 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 25 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 48 10 STATISTICS • Helped pave the way for Hamilton Southeast- ern ball carriers to rack up 2,598 yards and 32 touchdowns on 436 rushing attempts (6.0 yards per carry) in 11 games as a senior. • In 2022, was part of a unit that produced 2,930 yards and 31 scores on 503 carries (5.8 yards per rush) in 12 games. NOTABLE • Named to the Indiana Football Coaches As- sociation Top 50 All-State squad in 2022 and 2023. • Was first-team All-Hamilton County and first- team All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference in 2022 and 2023. • Tabbed as Hamilton Southeastern's 2023 of- fensive line MVP. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on June 6, 2023. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Also held offers from Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. • Recruited by offensive line coach Joe Rudolph. • Visited Notre Dame 10 times, including his of- ficial visit on June 3, 2023. 2024 PROJECTION • Expected to be a redshirt candidate while he focuses on adding muscle mass as a freshman. THEY SAID IT Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "Prescod has really good potential. He has the size and is a good athlete. Prescod moves well. He's not there yet; he's a project, but a good project. He has the frame and length to play tackle. It'll just be a matter of getting strong, as is the case with most offensive linemen. "He's not a ready-made guy, but Prescod has potential. He can develop into a really good one with coaching." On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Styles Prescod is one that we've been high on for a long time at On3. For starters, he has a really good combination of functional athleticism with strength and power. At his size of 6-5½ or 6-6 and 270 pounds, he plays with advanced strength and a strong base in pass protection. He anchors against rushers, as well as in the run game, where he's impressive with the push he generates and how he finishes blocks. "In my years of scouting, it's very encouraging when you can find an offensive lineman with a developmental frame who is athletic and plays with advanced strength and core balance. Those offensive linemen tend to project well to college and eventually to the NFL." Offensive Lineman Styles Prescod Is Gaining Valuable Early Experience