Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Second Time A Charm For Pennsylvania Linebacker BY JASON SAPP lex Anzalone had already made his choice one time, offering a verbal com- mitment to Ohio State during its spring A COMMITMENT PROFILE ALEX ANZALONE game, but he decided to take a step back and restart the process — creating an op- portunity for Notre Dame to get back in the picture for its top target at inside line- backer. The Reading (Pa.) Wyo- missing High standout was impressed with what the Irish had to offer when he visited Notre Dame for junior day on March 24. His return trip on June 14, when he was surrounded by Irish pledges offensive tackle Hunter Bivin, tight end Mike Heuerman, cor- nerback Rashad Kinlaw, defensive end Jacob Ma- tuska, outside linebacker Jaylon Smith and quar- terback Malik Zaire, an- swered all his remaining questions. "The players and the after announcing his decision to commit to Notre Dame over Florida and Penn State. While at the event hosting top prospects from around the nation, Anzalone was able to spend time with Irish commits offensive tackle Steven Elmer Jr., cornerback Devin Butler, offensive lineman Colin McGovern, wide receiver James Onwualu, wideout Corey Robinson and Smith. "I know coaches come and go, so that's what I really wanted to focus on. That's who you're going to be around the whole time. That's what I really wanted to think about when I made my decision. "The Notre Dame com- mits are awesome. They're all really close. Even when I was uncommitted they took me in like I was com- mitted. They're a group of special guys. I love them." In his junior season, commits really," the 6-3, 232-pound four-star re- cruit told 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong of what swayed him while at The Opening in Beaverton, Ore., a Nike event, Anzalone is rated as a four-star prospect, the country's fifth-best outside linebacker and the No. 43 overall player in the class of 2013 by 247Sports. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS AUGUST 2012 68 worker," Wyomissing head coach Bob Wol- frum said. "He was only 165 pounds as Anzalone recorded 58 tackles, rushed for more than 900 yards and scored 13 touchdowns en route to first-team all-state honors. He's rated by 247Sports as the No. 4 prospect in Pennsylvania, the No. 5 outside linebacker in the land and the No. 43 over- all recruit nationally. "He has really good size, and he's a very hard