Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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American Bowl Jan. 4 in San Antonio. Heading into the All-American con- test, many recruiting analysts consid- ered the Fighting Irish the frontrunner to land the five-star recruit, as ranked by Scout.com. Notre Dame coaches and fans alike were excited to hear Morgan commit to the Fighting Irish on national television. "I called Coach Kelly a couple of days before the game and let him know I was coming," Morgan men- tioned. "He was really excited and he told me that he was very happy that I made the decision I did. He said that I have a bright future at Notre Dame and he said he would get the best out of me on the field." With Kelly spearheading Morgan's recruitment down the stretch and Morgan ending up at Notre Dame, it comes as very little surprise that the two have a mutual admiration for each other. During his National Sign- ing Day press conference Feb. 5, Kelly raved about Morgan. "He's just got a great nose for the football, plays downhill, plays fast, great instincts, and when he arrives, he arrives with a bad attitude when he gets to the football," Kelly said. "He's just that kind of player. Very, very talented. … [He is] an inside guy that certainly has the physical tools to be an exceptional player here at Notre Dame." Morgan shared some insight on Kelly both as a person and a coach, along with his impressions of what Kelly has done with the Notre Dame program. "I really like what he's built at Notre Dame," Morgan said regarding Kelly. "They've done some good stuff on the field and really made that a place to compete for championships. "He's brought in some really good defensive players like Jaylon Smith last year, and that caught my eye. It definitely took me longer than others,