Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2017 41 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE during the short time frame, and Gen- mark Heath's official visit to South Bend Jan. 20-22 showed him and his family that is where he belonged. The elder Genmark knew once his stepson heard from Notre Dame the process was likely over. "I remember that night," Gen- mark recalled. "[Jordan] said they called and I knew right away this is happening and going to hap- pen. It was a short process, but amazing. We got all of our ques- tions answered and were able to build that relationship with the coaches in a very short time. "It's an amazing place with the top education and the spiri- tual aspect of it. I wouldn't say we were worried about it. We wanted to get a good feel and get to know the coaches and Jordan wanted to know the players. He said the first night we were up there when he met the players —he didn't say it flat out, but I knew it was a done deal." The Irish have always been on Genmark Heath's mind because the official visit wasn't the first time he had been in South Bend. Heading into his junior cam- paign, he participated in a camp at Notre Dame as a quarterback. "Notre Dame has always been a pro- gram he's talked about — even before we began talking about going to col- lege," Krister Genmark said. "When the chance to go to the camp came up he said he really wanted to go … I was able to combine that with work and we flew to Chicago and dropped him off in South Bend." It's been a wild three-plus years for Genmark Heath and his fam- ily. Moving across the globe to a foreign country is no easy task for a teenager or adult to adjust to. Genmark Heath turned his sim- ple dream of playing high school football into the opportunity of playing and attending one of the most prestigious programs in the United States. He and the rest of the family admitted to trying to focus on schools closer to the West Coast during the recruiting process, but the right fit for Genmark Heath happened to be in the Midwest. Moving a little over 2,150 miles from home can be intimidating for most people. However, for Genmark Heath that's nothing compared to what he's already done. ✦ JORDAN GENMARK HEATH ATHLETE/SAFETY 6-2 · 200 CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC H.S. SAN DIEGO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 67 73 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 72 77 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 230 22 26 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 41 66 MEASURABLES • Recorded a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, posted a time of 4.40 seconds in the shuttle and regis- tered a 41-inch vertical jump at the Nike Foot- ball The Opening Regional in Los Angeles on Feb. 28, 2016. STATISTICS • Led Cathedral Catholic to a 15-0 record, a No. 22 final national ranking by MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and the 2016 CIF Division IAA state champion- ship as a senior. Rushed for 197 yards and nine touchdowns on 47 carries, while also adding 291 yards and two scores on 16 receptions. Also re- corded 59 tackles, four interceptions, five passes broken up and one forced fumble on defense. HONORS • Received 2016 first-team All-San Diego CIF accolades. • Named to The San Diego Union-Tribune's All- San Diego Section team following his senior year. • Tabbed as a member of The San Diego Union- Tribune's 2015 All-Academic team. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Participated in the Nike Football The Opening Regional in Los Angeles on Feb. 28, 2016. RECRUITMENT • Flipped commitment from Cal to Notre Dame on Jan. 26, 2017. • Was offered by Notre Dame Jan. 11, several days after the firing of the Bears' head coach, Sonny Dykes. • Officially visited Notre Dame on Jan. 20, 2017. • Main Notre Dame recruiters were defensive coordinator Mike Elko and defensive backs coach Todd Lyght. NOTABLE • Born Dec. 16, 1997. • Born and raised in Sweden, and moved to San Diego with his mother and stepfather when he was 15. • Teammates with Morrison Mirer, son of former Notre Dame quarterback Rick Mirer. 2017 PROJECTION • Genmark Heath's size, strength and intelli- gence could allow him to earn a spot on the depth chart or special teams in his first season. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "Jordan is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, really athletic. You can make the case he could play on either side of the ball. We were really looking for that safety that had the skills that would really fit in nicely to the defense that we're going to employ. I just think he was a real nice fit." Defensive backs coach Todd Lyght: "He's a tough kid. A really, really tough kid. He's a smart and very savvy football player. I love the fact that he plays multiple positions. That shows that he has a very high football IQ. "He's just a tremendous talent. He constantly wants to get better and he constantly wants to be coached. Those are the types of kids that you want to be associated with. Those are the type of kids you want to have in your program." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Genmark Heath isn't going to blow anyone away with elite athleticism, but there is a lot to like about his game. He's a well-built defender that checked in last summer at 205 pounds with a thick, athletic frame. He has some suddenness to his game. "Arguably his best traits are his intelligence and instincts. He makes quick reads, drives quickly on the ball and gets his hands on a lot of passes. For Notre Dame, he projects to both the field safety and rover positions." Rivals national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell: "Big kid with a filled-out frame and powerful build. He's quick twitch defender who will come down in the box and strike you and loves to mix things up. He takes good angles to the ball." Genmark Heath flipped his commitment from Cal to Notre Dame a few days after taking an official visit to South Bend Jan. 20-22. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM