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had early offers from West Virginia and Army. However, when Irish head coach Brian Kelly broke the news to him, the junior didn't need long to decide. "We were actually taking a tour of the campus, and they took me away for a bit to Coach Kelly's office," Shan- non said. "We talked for a while, and he said he was really impressed with me, that they've been watching tape and that Coach [Scott] Booker was im- pressed with me. So he extended the offer. "I knew right then that was the place I wanted to call home, that was the place I wanted to be. I shook his hand and told him, 'I want to spend the next four or five years here. I don't want to play anywhere else.' He said 'That's great, I'm really looking forward to it. You can come down anytime you want.' It was pretty neat." Continuing the family legacy was clearly a key cog in his decision, but many other factors were appealing for Shannon beyond following his elders. "Obviously the education is great — it wasn't just about family and foot- ball," Shannon said. "Going through this recruiting process that was a big thing for me. Sports may not always be there. You need a good education to help your direction in life. Then the tradition, obviously it's one of the pre- mier college programs in the country." A number of programs between now and National Signing Day in February 2016 may realize their need for a snap- per, and could reach out to Shannon to gauge interest. They'll be hard-pressed to find any in reciprocation. He knows where he belongs, and that's in South Bend. "I'm set on Notre Dame," Shannon said. "I've told them this is my home. I may go to some snapping camps, but I don't plan on visiting any other schools." Shannon is so certain on Notre Dame, he's joined fellow commits Cincinnati Elder offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer and LaGrange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy cornerback Julian Love in helping recruit others to join them. A couple of names they're pursuing include Fort Wayne, Ind., ju- nior standouts and major Notre Dame targets Austin Mack and Auston Rob- ertson. The 6-2, 205-pound Mack is rated by Rivals.com as a four-star prospect, the No. 1 player in Indiana, the No. 38 wide receiver nationally and the No. 192 overall recruit in the country. The 6-5, 250-pound Robertson is listed as a four-star recruit, the No. 2 player in Indiana, the No. 9 weakside defensive end nationally and the No. 202 overall prospect in the class of 2016. "Tommy, Julian and I have been tex- ting each other back and forth about who we should talk to and who we should reach out to," Shannon said. "I've been talking to Austin Mack and Auston Robertson, a couple of those guys. "Hopefully we can make an impact. I'll text them once every week, just to check up on them and see how things are going. We figured some of the in- state guys would be a good start." Whether Mack and Robertson even- tually join the fold or not, one thing looks certain. The Shannon legacy will carry on at Notre Dame. ✦