Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BY ANDREW OWENS T here's a good chance Nile Sykes will get confused with his linebacking counterpart and fellow Notre Dame signee Nyles Morgan during their fu- ture careers with the Irish, and not just because of the similarity between their names. Sykes, a product of Montini Catholic High School in Oak Park, Ill., did not receive an Irish offer until Nov. 14 of this past season and needed only a month before he committed to Notre Dame. "I have the opportunity for that degree and the experience of Notre Dame with big-time football," Sykes said. "It's close to home, only an hour- and-a-half drive, so my family will be able to see me pretty much whenever they want to. "When I went up there for my offi- cial visit in December, it felt right. I felt comfortable with the coaching staff and the guys in that program. That pretty much sealed the deal." Sykes emerged in 2013 as one of the most underrated players from the Midwest. He originally fielded offers from Missouri, Syracuse and Illinois before the Irish jumped in late in the process. However, he will have an excellent opportunity to play right away with Notre Dame's lack of depth at inside linebacker in 2014. "My chance is just as good as any- body's," Sykes said. "I'm working out right now on my own, and I'm going to work out until I get there. When Nile Sykes Earned Late Offer With Exceptional Play As A Senior With Notre Dame's lack of depth at linebacker, Sykes could possibly contribute during the 2014 season. PHOTO COURTESY MONTINI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL