Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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GRANTBLANKENSHIP DEFENSIVE END 6-6 · 264 THE COLONY H.S. THE COLONY, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 22 71 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 43 66 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 29 59 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 91 10 13 MEASURABLES • Runs a 4.75 40-yard dash. STATISTICS • Recorded 53 tackles, 12 stops for loss, seven sacks and one pass deflection on defense as a senior. Also had five catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns at tight end. • Recorded 80 stops, 14 tackles for loss and 10 sacks as a junior. HONORS • Named the Texas District 9-4A defensive MVP as a senior. • Rated as the No. 31 player and No. 5 defensive lineman in the Dallas area by the Dallas Morning News. • One of 16 defensive linemen on Waco Tribune Top 100 list of Texas players. • Rated as the No. 4 defensive end in the Midlands region by Scout.com. • Received Associated Press Texas Class 4A all- state honorable mention recognition as a junior. • Tabbed first-team all-district during his junior season. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Attended camp at Notre Dame in June, and participated in camp and junior day at Oklahoma. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on July 5, 2013. • Seriously considered Oklahoma, Arkansas and Baylor. Texas offered late under new head coach Charlie Strong, but Blankenship declined interest. • Unofficially visited Baylor, Oklahoma and Notre Dame (June 21, 2013), and received offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Wake Forest. • Primarily recruited by Irish cornerbacks coach Kerry Cooks and secondarily recruited by defen- sive line coach Mike Elston. NOTABLE • Born on Sept. 16, 1995. • Played basketball at The Colony High School. • Plans to major in marketing in the Mendoza Col- lege of Business. 2014 PROJECTION • Possible contributor along the defensive line in 2014. THEY SAID IT Brian Kelly's Comments: "He was a guy that just stood out right away for us when we saw him in our summer camp working out. He had a great senior year, and he's a guy that continued to just grow. He's just starting to hit his potential level, and it's only going to get better and better." Tom Lemming Of Prep Football Report: "He re- minds me of Andrew Trumbetti. Good, but he's got a ways to go. They've both got good bodies, they've got growth potential with frames that can handle 270 to 280 pounds, and they're both solid, blue collar, workmanlike players. They're not the dominating player that Notre Dame used to bring in at defensive end. … There's no need to play him or Trumbetti as freshmen. Let them develop in the weight room. Both have really good work ethic, so that's something that in a couple of years could get them to a starting position with 20 pounds of muscle." The Colony Head Coach Rudy Rangel: "Grant plays really fast and is long and quick. He is a great fit for a four-man front."