Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com DECEMBER 2016 35 PREP PROFILES Heading in to his unofficial visit to South Bend Nov. 19, four-star 2018 tight end Brenden Bates of Cincin- nati Moeller knew well the history that comes with Notre Dame. The 6-5, 220-pound junior said he was in- stantly comfortable when he stepped on campus. "Coming from a Catholic high school, seeing Touchdown Jesus in person felt like home," Bates said. "Seeing the iconic Golden Dome was amazing. Everything about the cam- pus was beautiful." The opportunity to see game inside Notre Dame Stadium was an experi- ence Bates said he won't soon forget. "The visit was awesome," he said. "Being there in person was a really neat experience. "It was really cool seeing the gold helmets coming out. The fans were incredible; it was a very hyped up atmosphere." Before the visit, Bates mentioned the Moeller-Notre Dame pipeline as part of the reason he wanted to learn more about the Irish. That pipeline includes former Moeller and Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust. Prior to starting at Notre Dame in 1980, Faust amassed a record of 178-23-2 as head coach at Moeller from 1962-80, a tenure that included seven unde- feated seasons and five state titles. That connection, along with the tradition of Notre Dame, has Bates interested in the Irish. "The national championships," Bates said when asked about what specifically draws him to Notre Dame. "The history, the way they use their tight ends and Gerry Faust because he's a legend at Moeller." He said he didn't get the opportu- nity to talk with tight end's coach Scott Booker during the visit, but he did have a pre-game conversation with defensive coordinator Greg Hudson. Bates, who has early offers from Cincinnati and Kentucky, hauled in 15 receptions for 234 yards in 2016 while sharing the tight end position with fellow four-star Matt Dotson, a Michigan State commit and the No. 5 tight end in the class of 2018. He is hopeful a Notre Dame schol- arship may be on the way sometime in the future. "It would be huge," Bates said of getting an offer from Notre Dame. "It would definitely be one of my top schools. Just an offer itself, just to have the opportunity to play at Notre Dame, would make it a big one." — David McKinney Nashville (Tenn.) East Nashville Magnet 2019 cornerback Jashon Wat- kins has early offers from Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennessee, but he said he is hopeful one from Notre Dame is on the way. If the offer were to come, the 6-4, 180 pounder said the Fighting Irish would instantly climb to the top of his list. "That would be huge," Watkins said. "They'd probably be No. 1. That's where I want to be right now. "It's a great college," he added. "Why wouldn't I want to go?" Watkins took his first visit to Notre Dame and attended its 34-31 loss to Virginia Tech Nov. 19. He said he was thoroughly impressed by what he saw, most notably the Irish faith- ful braving the elements to see their team. "Just to see the fans come out in the cold weather amazed me," Watkins said. "That just shows that it would be a place for me. No matter what the weather is, the fans still love the team." Even though he hasn't received an offer from head coach Brian Kelly and staff yet, Watkins said he felt right at home as soon as he set foot in South Bend. "Getting to see it in person was crazy," he said. "Meeting some of the players and the coaches was a great moment, and the fans made it special. "They welcomed me in like I was already committed." Watkins said the Notre Dame coaching staff treated him the exact same way. "They just treated me like I was al- ready a part of the family," he added. What stands out about Notre Dame, Watkins said, is the tradition surrounding the program, as well the long-standing pipeline of Irish play- ers to the NFL. "They have so many champion- ships," Watkins said. "And they put a ton of people in the league." As just a sophomore in high school, Watkins said he was honored just to get the opportunity to visit South Bend. "It's very exciting, just to be so young, and be invited to a college like Notre Dame," Watkins said. "The atmosphere and the fan base are great — every game is packed, and the fans are always behind you no matter what." — David McKinney Talented 2018 Tight End Is Impressed With Notre Dame 2019 Cornerback Has Early Interest In Irish "COMING FROM A CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, SEEING TOUCHDOWN JESUS IN PERSON FELT LIKE HOME." BATES "IT'S A GREAT COLLEGE. WHY WOULDN'T I WANT TO GO?" WATKINS ON NOTRE DAME BRENDEN BATES ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Moeller H.S. Cincinnati Status: Interest Class: 2018 Position: Tight End Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 220 Rivals Rankings: Not cur- rently rated JASHON WATKINS East Nashville Magnet H.S. Nashville, Tenn. Status: Interest Class: 2019 Position: Cornerback Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 180 Rivals Rankings: Not cur- rently rated