Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2015 RECRUITING ISSUE NICCO FERTITTA SAFETY 5-9 ·175 BISHOP GORMAN H.S. LAS VEGAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 54 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 93 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 79 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 63 4 MEASURABLES • Runs a 4.55 40-yard dash. • Boasts a 225-pound bench press and 315-pound squat. STATISTICS • Recorded 71 tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries during his senior season, while helping lead Bishop Gorman to a 15-0 record, its sixth straight state title and the top spot in USA Today's final high school national rankings. • Registered 47 tackles as a junior. HONORS • Named NevadaPreps.com first-team all-state as a senior. • Tabbed as a first-team defensive back on Las Vegas Review-Journal 2014 all-state team. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 3 in San Antonio, but did not record any statistics in the West's 39-36 victory over the East. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on April 5, 2014. • Officially visited campus for the Football Awards Show on Dec. 12, 2014, and unofficially visited on April 5, 2014. • Primarily recruited by former Irish running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Tony Al- ford and secondarily recruited by former defen- sive backs coach Kerry Cooks. • Also received scholarship offers from Arizona, Boston College, Hawaii, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah and Villanova. NOTABLE • Son of Lorenzo Fertitta, the billionaire co- founder of Station Casinos and CEO of the Ulti- mate Fighting Championship (UFC). • Teammate and close friend of fellow Irish com- mit Aliz'e Jones. 2015 PROJECTION • Expected to contribute on special teams, de- spite needing to make some gains in the weight room. THEY SAID IT Brian Kelly's Comments: "What I love about Nicco is the toughness that he brings every single play, every single snap. I was looking for some- body in this class to bring that kind of dominant competitor spirit to our defense, and Nicco brings that." Tom Lemming Of Prep Football Report: "A big surprise initially, but when you watch him on film he's not. He's first-team all-state. He is probably the hardest hitter, pound for pound, in Notre Dame's recruiting class." Bishop Gorman Head Coach Kenny Sanchez's Comments: "He was voted a captain by his team- mates and is one of the hardest hitters around. I think he was voted one of the top 25 hitters in the country. He's a smart football player, real cerebral, understands the game real well." Why He Chose Notre Dame: "It feels awesome. It feels incredible to be a part of something huge at Notre Dame. Not many people can be a part of a program with such tradition and greatness, and it feels amazing to know that I'll be a part of it."