Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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prep profiles Irish Are Top Choice For Idaho Junior Offensive Tackle Pocatello, Idaho, product Tristen Hoge has avoided the drama of recruitment compared to his peers, but his hard-nosed play on the gridiron has landed him 12 Division I offers — and Notre Dame is on the top of his list. The 2015 four-star offensive tackle and nephew of former NFL player Merril Hoge has already narrowed his choices down to three programs: Notre Dame, Florida and Penn State. Hoge's decision will be based on location, academics and athletics, but an unofficial visit last season to Notre Dame and a growing relationship with the coaches have separated the Fighting Irish from the rest. "When I visited the campus for the BYU game, it sealed the deal for me," Hoge said. "My experience was one of a kind. I've never been to a [game] atmosphere like that, and South Bend is a lot like Idaho Falls to me. It's a sense of home. "And the relationships the coaches have with their players, like being involved in their academics, spoke volumes to me." Hoge also mentioned the history of Notre Dame, head coach Brian Kelly's caliber of coaching and his weekly talks with offensive line coach Harry Hiestand as other factors in the Irish's favor. And the more he talks with Hiestand, the more he feels he will fit Tristen Hoge ✪✪✪✪ Highland High School Pocatello, Idaho Status: Offered Position: Offensive Tackle Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 287 40-Yard Dash: 4.90 247Sports Rankings: No. 1 player in Idaho, No. 6 offensive tackle in the nation and No. 77 overall prospect in the land into Notre Dame, both athletically and academically. "The offense Notre Dame is running matches what I do already," Hoge said. "The athletes have the same outlook and goals as me, and it has a great engineering program, which is what I'm looking to get into." The 6-6, 287-pound prospect plans to make another visit to Notre Dame Oct. 19 for the USC game. He will also visit Florida and Penn State this season, and hopes to make a decision by the end of his junior year. Hoge has already earned an invite to the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, a goal he's had since middle school. "When I got invited on April 4, I checked that off my list," Hoge said. "I'm honored and humbled to play in that game." — Staci Gasser