Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM AUGUST 2024 35 BY MIKE SINGER Cincinnati St. Xavier defensive line- man Gordy Sulfsted traveled quite the road before ending up on the Notre Dame class of 2025 commitment list. But once the 6-5, 235-pounder had the opportunity to pick the Fighting Irish, he jumped on it. "It's been a journey," Sulfsted told Blue & Gold Illustrated, "and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to play for Notre Dame." Sulfsted's recruiting journey with the Irish began in June 2023 when he per- formed at one of the staff's camps, but his exposure to South Bend was years before that. He first attended a game inside Notre Dame Stadium during his freshman year, and he saw the Irish play when he was even younger than that. Notre Dame's interest in Sulfsted picked up in the spring, and the staff hosted him for a visit April 16. "I got to see practice and had a great tour of the campus and facilities," Sulf- sted said. "It's an awesome place. It's going to be an easy transition from Catholic school to Catholic school, and that's definitely a positive. It's a great fit for me. "Building more of a relationship and connection with Coach [Al] Washing- ton was great. He showed me film of where he sees me. And the strength and conditioning coach [Loren Landow] is a big deal to me because I feel I have a lot of developing to do. I have a lot of faith in the Notre Dame staff to help get me to where I want to go." The message to Sulfsted following his visit was that the staff would be by his school in May to evaluate him further. Washington and Co. already had four defensive lineman committed, but their plan was to take another interior player. Sulfsted was on their radar for an offer. Clearly, the staff liked what they saw. They offered Sulsfted a scholarship May 17. "They offered me, and I said I was in," Sulfsted noted. "I had some thinking to do during the day, but I made the decision to commit. "It was really cool to get on the phone with Coach [Marcus] Free- man, Coach [Al] Golden and Coach Washington and tell them that I was committing." Sulfsted picked the Fighting Irish over offers from Iowa, Miami, Stanford, Washington and a handful of others. Duke and Wisconsin were the favorites in his recruitment, and he was going to officially visit both schools in June. Those trips didn't take place with his commitment locked in. "It's too good of an opportunity to pass up," Sulfsted said about committing to Notre Dame on the spot. "It's such a per- fect fit for me. I know a lot about the program, and I trust the coaches." The Notre Dame staff envisions Sulf- sted as an interior defensive lineman. "They see me bouncing around those positions," he said. "They're comparing me to Rylie Mills. Hopefully, I can get to that size and be that athletic guy that they need." Sulfsted, who is ranked as the No. 31 prospect in Ohio and the No. 91 defen- sive lineman nationally by On3, will en- roll at Notre Dame next summer. During his 12-game junior season, Sulfsted posted 41 tackles with 6 stops for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also plays bas- ketball at St. Xavier and averaged 5.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game in 2023-24. Sulfsted was named to the 2023 Ohio Southwest District first-team de- fense. He also made it on the 2023 Ohio Greater Catholic League (GCL) first- team defense and was honored as the GCL's Defensive Lineman of the Year. He was listed on the Ohio All-State third-team defense, too. ✦ Cincinnati Defensive Lineman Jumps On Notre Dame Offer COMMITMENT PROFILE GORDY SULFSTED Sulfsted committed to Notre Dame on the spot over offers from Duke, Iowa, Miami, Stanford, Washington, Wisconsin and a handful of others. PHOTO BY MATT PARKER/LETTERMEN ROW FILM ANALYSIS "Gordy [Sulfsted] shows big-time skills at both the defensive end and tight end posi- tions. He's an excellent pass rusher with a quick get-off and a low pad level. He excels at both stopping the run and the pass. He has strong hands and great work ethic." — Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming "It's too good of an opportunity to pass up. It's such a perfect fit for me. I know a lot about the program, and I trust the coaches." SULFSTED