Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING bad. Everything was perfect about this place. The facilities were amazing and the campus was really, really nice." According to 247Sports, Conner is the nation's No. 239 overall player, the No. 4 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 8 prospect in Ohio. Recruiting is not all about getting new pledges, but also about keeping the commitments a school currently has. Pocatello, Idaho, four-star center and Notre Dame commit Tristen Hoge made his fourth visit to South Bend for the spring game, and he and his parents have completely shut down the recruiting process. "I love it here," the 6-5, 287-pound recruit said. "I'm signing with Notre Dame. My parents and I decided last month that I was done with the pro- cess. This school has everything that I'm looking for, and I know that I can be great in football and in life by com- ing here. "[Offensive line coach Harry] Hies- tand is incredible. He treats me like family, and there isn't another person I would choose to learn from than him. "He is the best at what he does, and he's at the best school in the country for football and academics. This is a great fit for me." Hoge is the No. 101 overall player in the country, the No. 1 center in the land and the No. 1 prospect in Idaho according to 247Sports. Like Hoge, Dallas South Oak Cliff safety Prentice McKinney is commit- ted to Notre Dame, and he made it to campus for the spring game. McK- inney pledged to the Irish March 27 without ever stepping foot on cam- pus. That is a testament to the recruit- ing efforts of defensive backs coach and Texas recruiter Kerry Cooks. The two discussed that during his visit to South Bend. "We were laughing about how I committed and never made a trip here and just trusted him when he told me it was the best place for me," the 6-2, 180-pounder said. "Coach Cooks is the man. He's just real hon- est with me and genuine. I knew that I was going to like Notre Dame because he told me I would, and he was right. This place is incredible. I'm definitely solid with my commitment and happy with my decision. "I got a chance to watch him work with his defensive backs, and that was big for me. I like his coaching style. He keeps it fun and light, but he also knows what he's talking about and the players respect him." 247Sports ranks McKinney as the No. 35 overall safety in the 2015 class and the No. 67 prospect in the state of Texas. ✦ "I LOVE IT HERE. I'M SIGNING WITH NOTRE DAME. MY PARENTS AND I DECIDED LAST MONTH THAT I WAS DONE WITH THE PROCESS. THIS SCHOOL HAS EVERYTHING THAT I'M LOOKING FOR, AND I KNOW THAT I CAN BE GREAT IN FOOTBALL AND IN LIFE BY COMING HERE." TRISTAN HOGE