Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/542018
PREP PROFILES Notre Dame offensive line coach Harry Hiestand wants to identify his targets early in the recruiting process. He also likes linemen that can play mul- tiple positions and have an aggressive, hard-working men- tality. We x f o r d ( P a . ) North Allegheny four-star offensive tackle Joshua Lugg fits the bill for both of those categories, and that's why he was in South Bend for the Irish Inva- sion. Lugg, who made the trip to campus with his father, par- ticipated in the invite-only camp June 19, and then stuck around for the line- men challenge the following day. It was a two-day visit that paid off for the Luggs. Notre Dame offered the tackle just five days after the two camps. "I had been waiting for a while now to get that offer. I had worked hard for it, and it was just awesome to finally get it," Lugg said. "I was talking to Coach Hiestand, and he said it was part of how I played [at the Invasion and lineman camp] and how I acted on campus. He said that's what he liked." Lugg is ranked as the No. 196 overall prospect in the country for the class of 2017. He holds early offers from Wis- consin, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Penn State, Michigan State, Tennessee, UCLA, and Maryland, but said that the bid from the Irish is one that was differ- ent than the others. "Notre Dame is such a prestigious school," Lugg said. "I grew up watching them. They are a great football team, and the academics speak for themselves." The 6-7, 280-pound tackle claims that he's not ready to start naming leaders, but he did admit that Notre Dame stands out to him and his family. "It's still really early in the process," Lugg said. "Pittsburgh and Penn State have offered. I have really good con- nections with Wisconsin, too. I'm just taking as many visits as I can and try- ing to figure out everything I can about each school. I don't see me narrowing it down or making a commitment until my junior year. "Overall Notre Dame is one of the top schools so far. I wouldn't say they are No. 1, because I don't have favorites right now, but they are very much near the top." Lugg plans to return to campus for a visit sometime during the season. — Andrew Ivins Keystone State Lineman Likes Notre Dame JOSHUA LUGG North Allegheny Wexford, Pa. Status: Offered Class: 2017 Position: Offensive tackle Ht.: 6-7 · Wt.: 280 40-Yard Dash: 5.15 Rivals.com Rankings: Four-star prospect, the No. 196 player in the country and the No. 21 offensive tackle in the nation.