Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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38 MARCH 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY DAVID MCKINNEY Jonathan Doerer isn't one to be wasteful. Doerer, Notre Dame's kicker of the future, started playing football at a young age, but didn't realize until later in his career where his true talent was. "I started playing foot- ball in middle school, and I didn't kick at all, I played safety," Doerer said. "I played soccer my whole life, so my dad thought it would be a good idea for me to kick in eighth grade. "I did a pretty good job, but I went to high school with no intentions of being a kicker." That changed when Do- erer was put in front of a kicking coach for the first time. "I was hanging out with a friend who plays college football now, and he took me to work out with his kicking coach," Doerer said. "I was kind of surprised at how well I did. That's when I decided to start pursuing kicking. "I had some pretty good success with it," he added." I thought, 'Hey, I could probably make it to the col- lege level with this,' and that's how it worked out." After flipping from Maryland to Notre Dame Jan. 29, Doerer has a chance to see the field right away for the Irish in 2017. That first kick in Notre Dame Stadium will be the culmination of years of hard work for the incoming freshman. "Every day, I try to make sure I do something that's going to make me better at football, whether it be going to the weight room, going to put some balls in the air, or maybe if I don't go out I can stay home and stretch," Do- erer said. "I do stuff like that to make sure I've constantly got the game on my mind and am working toward the ultimate goal." Doerer, who is ranked by Kohl's Kicking as the No. 11 kicker in the class of 2017, said he puts in so much work perfecting his craft be- cause when he looks back on his life he doesn't want to have any regrets. "I feel like I've been given a lot of talent, and I don't want to let any of that go to waste," Doerer said. "I don't want to wake up when I'm 40 and think, 'Damn, I could've been a really good player.' I try to think that way whenever I'm on the field. "People tell me all the time how much I can do on the field. I need to make sure I know that, and that way I work as hard as I possibly can at this." ✦ JONATHAN DOERER KICKER 6-3 · 188 SOUTH MECKLENBURG H.S. CHARLOTTE, N.C. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ — — — ✪ ✪ ✪ — 20 29 ✪ ✪ — 14 76 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 6 — MEASURABLES • Recorded a 4.68-second 40-yard dash. • Runs a 4.32-second shuttle drill. • Max bench press is 215 pounds. STATISTICS • Made 9 of 16 field goal attempts with a long of 44 yards as a senior. • Registered a touchback on 92 percent of his kickoffs and also punted, averaging 41 yards per attempt with a long of 59 yards. HONORS • Named to the South Meck 8 All-Conference team after his sophomore, junior and senior years. All-Star Games And Camps • Attended Kohl's Kicking Camp and Chris Sailer Kicking every year of high school. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on Jan. 29, 2017. • Was originally committed to Maryland. • Officially visited Notre Dame the weekend of Jan. 27, 2017. • Main Notre Dame recruiter was special teams coordinator Brian Polian. NOTABLE • Born Oct. 14, 1998. • Also played safety early in his football career. 2017 PROJECTION • Doerer should be able to compete for the start- ing kickoff specialist job as a true freshman. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "He just jumped out at us. Somebody with his numbers, his ability, his length, 6-foot-3, extremely gifted athlete. We were looking for somebody that could take over the kickoff duties for us right away. … It was just too good to pass up for us. He was a great fit for us. "We went into that with really no expectations to go after a kicker until we saw him and fell in love with his ability. Then just the person and the family, they were made to come to Notre Dame." Special teams coordinator Brian Polian: "Jona- than is kind of a unique personality for a placekicker in the sense that he's nearly 6-foot-3. He looks like a Division I receiver body-type wise. He's got a very explosive leg. He's very loose and flexible. "There's just a lot of excitement about how the ball comes off his foot and how long he is. As he gets stronger and develops in the weight room, the power and distance he'll be able to cover will only get better." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Doerer gives the Irish three positives next season. He adds protection should placekicker Justin Yoon or punter Tyler Newsome go down with an injury. He is better as a placekicker, mainly because he is more consistent in that part of his game. He does possess a very strong leg for a punter as well. "His most immediate contribution could very well be as the team's kickoff specialist. He is an athletic kicker with a loose and easy leg swing, one that generates a great deal of speed and power." Jonathan Doerer Works To Not Waste His Talent Doerer, the nation's No. 11 kicker in the class of 2017 according to Kohl's Kicking, flipped from Maryland to Notre Dame Jan. 29. PHOTO COURTESY KOHLS KICKING CAMP