Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/638727
2016 RECRUITING ISSUE "I think a lot of it was him and Coach Denbrock," Karen Lopez, Claypool's trainer and "second mom" said. "They just hit it off." There's no question that the two did. A few days before Claypool gave his commitment to Notre Dame at The Opening on ESPNU, the four-star pros- pect opened up to the media about Den- brock and compared him to the other coaches at Michigan and Rutgers that were recruiting him. "I'm not looking for someone too young who I might sometimes think of as a buddy rather than a coach that I look up to and respect," Claypool said. "The older coaches have been through it, and can all show you stuff and give you advice. I have gotten to know Coach Denbrock personally." While Denbrock, who has 30 years of coaching experience, was the primary reason Claypool felt comfortable with the Irish, he wasn't the only factor in the dynamic athlete's decision to ink with the Irish. Denbrock and head coach Brian Kelly continued to sell Claypool on the prom- ise that he could be something special at Notre Dame given his skill set. The staff explained that the plan was to start him out at wide receiver, but they were open to moving him around if that got him on the field. It was a unusual pitch, but one that pushed Claypool over the edge. "What stood out with Coach Kelly was the developing of athletes. That's what stuck," Lopez said. "He said, 'We develop players. We have guys here and take them there.' That's what stuck with Chase." ✦