Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2016 RECRUITING ISSUE TOMMY KRAEMER OFFENSIVE TACKLE 6-5 • 310 ELDER H.S. CINCINNATI RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 41 4 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 99 10 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 8 2 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 37 3 2 MEASURABLES • Participated last July in Nike's The Opening Finals in Beaverton, Ore., one of the most prestigious camps for the nation's elite high school players. Maintained his rating as one of the nation's top five offensive line prospects. At 308 pounds, tested with a 5.46 40-yard dash, ran a 4.97 in the 20-yard pro agility shuttle, threw the power ball 42 feet and measured 23.5 inches with the vertical jump. STATISTICS • Credited with 156 pancake blocks at left tackle for a 9-4 Elder Panthers team as a senior, includ- ing a single-game school-record 23 versus La Salle in week 10. • Did not yield a sack in either of his last two seasons. • Three-year starter for the Panthers, working at right tackle in 2013 before lining up at left tackle in 2014-15. Elder finished 9-3 his sophomore year and 6-5 as a junior before becoming South co- champs in the Greater Cincinnati League, one of the nation's best high school football conferences. HONORS • Notre Dame's lone selection on Parade's All- America team this year. • Named Gatorade Ohio Football Player of the Year as a senior. • Selected to USA Today's 2015 All-USA first-team All-America squad — the lone Notre Dame recruit to make the first team on offense or defense. • MaxPreps second-team All-American offensive linemen in 2015, while fellow incoming offensive line recruits Liam Eichenberg and Parker Bou- dreaux were named to the first team. • Selected to the Associated Press Division I (large schools) all-state first team as a senior. • As a junior, was one of three offensive line- men selected to the USA Today second-team All- America unit. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Played for the East team in the U.S. Army All- American Bowl Jan. 9 in San Antonio. • Participated in Nike's The Opening Regional in Columbus, Ohio, last June, earning him an invita- tion to Nike's The Opening in Beaverton, Ore., the following month. RECRUITMENT • Became the first verbal commitment of this Notre Dame class when he pledged midway through his junior season on Oct. 4, 2014, during the 17-14 Fighting Irish victory against Stanford in the closing minute. • Primary recruiter was offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, with recruiting coordinator and line- backers coach Mike Elston the secondary recruiter. NOTABLE • Born April 16, 1998. • From the same high school as 2008-10 Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph, who became a second-round draft pick (and the first tight end drafted) after his junior season. • Played varsity basketball at Elder his junior season before opting to join the swim team as a senior. • Had an uncle and cousin who graduated from Notre Dame. 2016 PROJECTION • Joins fellow Ohio tackle recruit Liam Eichenberg as tackle prospects attempting to crack the two- deep, if not more, with seniors Mike McGlinchey and Hunter Bivin, junior Alex Bars and maybe fifth- year senior Mark Harrell.