Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BY ANDREW OWENS Shortly into an on-campus visit, Brandon Tiassum and his mother had seen enough. They knew Notre Dame represented the best destination for the Indianapolis four-star defensive tackle's career. "I went with my mother and they gave us a personal tour," said Notre Dame's ninth commitment, a list that has since grown to 17. "We just loved everything about it: the small school atmosphere, the great tradition, the great academics. She couldn't see me going anywhere else. "Location is very important — my family is close to me. Every game I like to look up into the stands and see my mother. I do it for them." Prior to Tiassum's June 8 visit, he hadn't planned on pulling the trigger on a commitment while considering Boston College, Cincinnati, Louisville, Indiana, Miami and other schools. The intended business management ma- jor, who was being recruited primarily by defensive line coach Mike Elston, noted that a meeting with head coach Brian Kelly helped seal his decision. "I spent a good 45 minutes with Coach Kelly, just talking and seeing what Notre Dame has for me," Tias- sum said. "He went over how he sees me and how I can affect this program. It was a great time." In Notre Dame's 4-3 base defense under new coordinator Brian Van- Gorder, Tiassum projects as a three- technique like current junior Sheldon Day. "I actually played in a 3-4 the ma- jority of my sophomore year in high school, so I'm familiar with it," he said. "In the 3-4 I was a five-technique hybrid — tackle and end. In the 4-3 I'm a three-technique." In a move that foreshadowed his committing to a program with high academic standards, Tiassum trans- ferred high schools after this freshman year. He left the football powerhouse Ben Davis High School for Park Tudor School, one of the top academic insti- tutions in Indiana. COMMITMENT PROFILE BRANDON TIASSUM Irish Land Indiana Defensive Tackle 247Sports ranks Tiassum as the No. 21 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 4 prospect from Indiana in the 2015 class. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS