Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IN THE TRENCHES ANDREW OWENS it to expend so many resources in those states just to miss or be burned late. If Notre Dame is to ever end the 25- year national championship drought, it certainly is worth it. Where would the Irish have finished during the 12-0 regular season of 2012 without Jacksonville, Fla., nose guard Louis Nix III? How about Weatherford, Texas, product Kapron Lewis-Moore? Or the Georgia duo of defensive end Stephon Tuitt and wide receiver TJ Jones? That squad's most high-profile player, linebacker Manti Te'o, hardly came from a Notre Dame pipeline in Hawaii. He committed to the Irish on National Signing Day and produced a prolific four-year career in South Bend. Irish head coach Brian Kelly and his boss, athletics director Jack Swarbrick, realize the importance of pursuing top talent from those states. Look no fur- ther than the future schedules. Notre Dame will have a consistent presence in each of those three states, and the South in general, with the annual five-game ACC commitment. The Irish will con- tinue to play in either Northern (Stan- ford) or Southern (USC) California each year, they are set to begin a four-game series with Texas in 2015 and will re- turn in 2016 for the Shamrock Series in San Antonio, and will stop by Florida for meetings with Florida State (2014), Miami (2017) and a future Shamrock Series game in Orlando. Speaking of the Shamrock Series, Kelly indicated that the 2013 version in Dallas helped bolster the program's recruiting efforts with the three signees from Texas and future targets. "It certainly didn't hurt us," he said. "I was on the phone with some [2015 prospects] that were at that game, that knew, 'Hey, saw your game.' So if it's not '14s, it's '15s — and if it is '14s, it gave us at least the opportunity to con- tinue that connection with those guys. We felt like it was a very successful game not only on the scoreboard but from a recruiting standpoint, as well. "We've been really working hard. I think [cornerbacks coach and Texas recruiter Kerry Cooks] has done a great job. And then this year in particular, that work has continued to pay off. … We're getting into the right schools and to the right kids certainly." Identifying the right players is one thing, and closing the deal is another. The players that get away are open wounds for fans that even time can't heal, but there are plenty of examples of athletes that experience a similar courtship from other programs and still decide to attend Notre Dame. Those cases, such as the ones with four-star defensive end Grant Blankenship (The Colony, Texas) and three-star line- backer Kolin Hill (Schertz, Texas) pass- ing up a late push from in-state Texas to sign with the Irish, are just not as memorable. There will no doubt be other names to add to the list of agonizing misses in future years, but the signatures the Irish do record from California, Florida and Texas are necessary for playoff berths and championship chases. ✦ Andrew Owens has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since August 2013. He can be reached at aowens@blueandgold.com