2016 RECRUITING ISSUE
BY BRYAN DRISKELL
When Chesterfield (Va.) Lloyd C.
Bird athlete Jalen Elliott began his
prep career, playing football at Notre
Dame was the furthest thing from
his mind. In fact, playing football at
in college period was not an option.
"I was definitely an all-out basket-
ball player," Elliott said. "That was
definitely my dream, to play basket-
ball."
Elliott was a two-year starter at
Mechanicsville (Va.) Hanover, earn-
ing second-team All-Group 4A South
Region honors as a sophomore. He
transferred to Bird as a junior, and
football quickly became his new love.
In his first season at Bird, Elliott
helped lead the Skyhawks to a 13-2
record and the Virginia Group 5A
state championship while earning
first-team Richmond Times-Dispatch
All-Metro honors at quarterback.
His athleticism and playmaking
ability made him one of the hottest
recruits in the state. Prior to his se-
nior season, Elliott had earned offers
from programs like Auburn, Georgia
and Miami.
A visit from Notre Dame defensive
coordinator Brian VanGorder caused
Elliott's recruitment to take a dra-
matic and sudden turn.
"A lot of schools came at me from
different directions," Elliott said.
"One thing that really stood out to
me was Coach VanGorder flew in
to our school and came to watch me
work out. You know the defensive
No Looking Back For Jalen Elliott
Rivals rates Elliott as a four-star recruit, the No. 5 pros-
pect in Virginia and the No. 15 safety in the country.
PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM
