Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/638727
2016 RECRUITING ISSUE BY BRYAN DRISKELL One of the cornerstones of Notre Dame's 2016 recruiting class is Cleve- land St. Ignatius offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg. He committed to Notre Dame last April, but the decision was not the one Eichenberg originally planned to make. "Right after Ohio State won the na- tional championship I was like, 'Wow, I'm going to Ohio State,'" Eichenberg said. Despite his early affinity for the in- state Buckeyes, the Notre Dame coach- ing staff — led by offensive line coach Harry Hiestand — continued making a push. "Notre Dame kept coming for me, they kept on visiting the school and Coach Hiestand never gave up," the St. Ignatius standout explained. In the end, the choice came down to the Irish and the defending na- tional champion Buckeyes. Hiestand's dogged determination ultimately paid off, but Eichenberg's mind began to change when he was able to step back and get away. It gave him the oppor- tunity to evaluate what a decision to each school truly meant. "I went on a school retreat where we go pray and reflect on our lives, and I had all this time to think about stuff," Eichenberg noted. "I started think- ing about where I wanted to go, and I thought Ohio State would be such an easy decision for me. It would be an Liam Eichenberg Takes The Hard Road Eichenberg, an Ohio native, spurned the home- state Buckeyes in favor of the challenges he'd face on the field and in the classroom at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS