BY ANDREW IVINS
Notre Dame offensive coordinator
Mike Sanford was prepared to go the
distance and wait on his next quar-
terback. Sanford had told Gibsonia
(Pa.) Pine-Richland's Phil Jurkovec
in early May that he wasn't going to
offer another quarterback in the class
of 2018 until he got word from the
Rivals100 junior prospect on whether
he was going to be headed to South
Bend or not.
Turns out Sanford didn't have to
wait all that long.
Jurkovec gave a verbal commit-
ment to the Irish on May 16 while on
campus with his family for an unof-
ficial visit.
He told Rivals recruiting analyst
Adam Friedman that the decision
to pick Notre Dame over Ohio State,
Penn State, Clemson, Alabama and
Pittsburgh was simple.
"I have really thought it for a long
time and it's not a rash decision,"
Jurkovec said. "I have gone over all
the different aspects that I want in
a school, and Notre Dame fits them
all."
Jurkovec has long been a priority
for Sanford and Notre Dame head
coach Brian Kelly. The Irish evalu-
Notre Dame Gets Its 2018
Quarterback
Jurkovec has already accepted an invitation to play in the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl after throw-
ing for 2,560 yards and running for 1,250 yards while totaling 31 touchdowns as a sophomore.
PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS
COMMITMENT PROFILE
PHIL JURKOVEC
