Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES Warren (Mich.) De La Salle running back Allen Stritzinger has taken special note of senior Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise. A former three-star recruit with a sim- ilar rating to Stritz- inger, Prosise was initially recruited as a defensive back for the Irish, before switching to slot receiver and then eventually running back this spring. Now, Prosise starts in the backfield and had racked up 451 rushing yards through three games to rank fifth na- tionally. "He's a prime example of how things can go with that," Stritzinger said. "I started playing corner towards the end of my sophomore season. I'd like to play running back right now, but I'm starting to really like defensive back, too, so it's a toss-up." After Sept. 1 — when college coaches could formerly reach out to junior pros- pects via social media — Stritzinger said his recruitment really picked up. Irish assistant coach Keith Gilmore contacted him on that first day coaches were given permission to engage with junior recruits. "I knew about the rule changing, but it was still unexpected the way it hap- pened," Stritzinger said. "I'm getting ready for bed, and literally right at 12 o'clock, my phone is blowing up with college coaches. "Coach Gilmore said just some gen- eral things, wishing me good luck for my season and said they were going to start recruiting me harder than usual. That was good to hear." There's enough mutual interest that Stritzinger made an unofficial visit to South Bend for the game against Texas Sept. 5. "It was great just to be a part of that atmosphere," he said. "You could see that everyone loved being there. I was right next to the student section, and it was wild sometimes." Still, the Irish have some competition in Stritzinger's recruitment. In-state power Michigan has already offered a scholar- ship, and the junior said they stand out early to him. "Michigan has been recruiting me the hardest out of anyone," Stritzinger said. "It's where I'm from, and I have grown up watching them play. I love the coaching staff; I speak with Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and a few others. "But I don't plan on making a decision until leading up to my senior year." — Jordan Wells The Irish And Michigan Standout Have Mutual Interest ALLEN STRITZINGER ✪ ✪ ✪ De La Salle High School Warren, Mich. Status: Interest Class: 2017 Position: Running Back Ht.: 6-1 · Wt.: 183 40-Yard Dash: 4.5 Rivals Rankings: No. 10 player in Michigan