2016 RECRUITING ISSUE
BY LOU SOMOGYI
It was never too early for Cincinnati
Elder All-American offensive tackle
Tommy Kraemer to commit to Notre
Dame.
Even prior to his junior season with
the Panthers, Kraemer was eager to
offer his pledge to the Fighting Irish
during an unofficial trip to campus in
June 2014 with his family.
"I loved it so much I wanted to com-
mit then," said Kraemer, who by the
end of his sophomore season was de-
veloping into one of the nation's top
prospects at any position.
"The campus, the buildings, the ed-
ucation, the type of people there, the
coaches … the only reason I didn't is
my parents told me to wait, which was
a good decision, looking back on it."
The rest of that summer, Kraemer
and his family took excursions from
nearby Ohio State to glamorous UCLA
out west, and so many other schools in
between or in the south.
"I took all the visits to make sure
Notre Dame was the place for me, and
after all that it really was," said Krae-
mer, who was recruited by the in-state
Buckeyes right into the final week be-
fore National Signing Day when their
staff visited his home.
His final answer came way back on
Tommy Kraemer Beats The
Rush — And Pass Rushers