Blue and Gold Illustrated

March 2014

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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BY ANDREW OWENS F or any recruit in the heart of Texas, an offer from the state's flagship program, the University of Texas, will put any prior commitment to the test. The new Longhorn staff — led by recent hire Charlie Strong — offered The Colony, Texas, defensive end and Notre Dame commitment Grant Blankenship a week before National Signing Day and, while the 247Sports three-star weighed his options, he maintained his pledge to the Irish. "I didn't think about it much, but it was a little bit more enticing because of the new staff. They're certainly on the upswing," said Blankenship, who grew up an Irish fan. "It was an easy decision. I didn't shrug it off, but I know that Strong wants to recruit the best players in Texas. I listened to him, gave him attention, but I didn't really think about it as an actual choice." Blankenship and three-star outside linebacker Kolin Hill (Schertz, Texas) both fielded Texas offers in recent weeks from the new staff, but Irish head coach Brian Kelly and Texas re- cruiter Kerry Cooks held onto the pair and Dallas cornerback Nick Watkins for a three-man Lone Star State haul. "Are we going to get three kids from Texas every year that get offered by Texas? That's going to be tough sled- ding," Kelly said. "But there are going to be years that I think we're going to be able to do well in Texas, and it's a great area for us. We've got a great network and a great alumni network there, too." The Irish coaching staff has not de- cided whether to play Blankenship at defensive end or tight end once he arrives on campus and, while the sign- ee's preference is to stay on defense, he is open to any plan that gets him on the field. "A future for me at tight end would be different," the 6-6, 252-pound Grant Blankenship Passed Up A Late Offer From Texas Scout.com ranks Blankenship as a four-star recruit, the No. 91 overall player nationally, the No. 10 defensive end in the land and the No. 13 prospect in Texas. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS

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