in the past, such as the massive me-
dia guide movement decades ago. He
said it's still a smart move to invest
in graphic design because anything
that keeps your school relevant in a re-
cruit's mind for an extra few minutes
can be an advantage.
Many top programs are investing by
hiring full-time designers as creative
directors. Kelly said he would like to
add a designer to his Irish staff in the
future. For the past year, he and Notre
Dame have outsourced their recruiting
mailers and social media visuals.
Notre Dame found its freelance de-
signer in an unexpected place — the
football offices of the Alabama Crim-
son Tide. Buddy Overstreet started his
career in college football by putting
together highlight films for the foot-
ball team as a student intern at Ala-
bama. He worked for the Tide for more
than a decade, creating a series of new
positions for himself by infusing de-
Brian Kelly, seen here with five-star linebacker and eventual Ohio State pledge Justin Hilliard during the Irish
Invasion, said he wanted to add more "sizzle" to some of the things his staff does on the recruiting trail.
PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND
