Blue and Gold Illustrated

August 2016

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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"You feel like you're watching players before them, not just them." A stout running back who bench presses 325 pounds and squats 365, Stepp said a big factor in his decision to pick Notre Dame was linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator Mike Elston, the primary recruiter for the state of Indiana. "We are really close. I call him a lot," Stepp said. "That's the dude I talk to the most. He's really passionate about what he does and believes in developing his players." Stepp joins Rivals100 quarterback Phil Jurkovec and twin brothers Jayson and Justin Ademilola — both defensive line prospects — as the initial commits in the class of 2018 for Notre Dame. Notre Dame's future running back said football might not even be his best sport. As a seventh and eighth grader, Stepp said he played rugby in the spring, introduced to the sport by his friend, David Hannon. And he's just as effective as getting to the end zone in rugby as he is in football. "In football, they're used to people running straight at them and trying to run them over, but in rugby you can make cuts and you can get to the end zone a lot easier," Stepp said. "Personally, I feel like I'm better at rugby than I am football." One problem: his mother isn't too fond of the hard-hitting sport. Stepp said he'll just have to sell her on letting him play again — he did not play the past two years — and if he fails, he'll run track. "I'm going to have to strongly convince her," Stepp said with a laugh. ✦

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