Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Hard Work Pays Off For Massachusetts Offensive Lineman BY JASON SAPP the campus following its success on the gridiron with nine state titles in the last 14 seasons. As more recruit- ers visited the school, it became ap- parent just what they were looking for. E verett High in Everett, Mass., has had many a college coach roaming COMMITMENT PROFILE JOHN MONTELUS Offensive line coach Mike Milo witnessed the early signs of a player that had the potential to be another great one in John Montelus, but there was just one problem — he had never played football before. "When John got here he only cruiting director JC Shurburtt said of Notre Dame's 11th verbal commit- ment. "On film, we like his versatility in that he could legitimately project anywhere on the offensive line. "Massachusetts has been churning out more quality prospects in recent years, and Montelus is one of them. The Irish are always a good sell in the Northeast." Regardless of which program was the leader heading into the visit, Montelus knew which one was the clear favorite coming out of it. "It's a great school, and it has a re- weighed about 200 pounds," Milo recalled with laughter. "I called his mom and told her he had to start eat- ing more, and after that he got up to about 255 pounds." Montelus, who is rated as the No. 2 recruit in Massachusetts and the No. 52 offensive tackle nationally by 247Sports, was well on his way after the makeover, and despite the late start in the sport, he was getting early interest. "Syracuse and UConn were the first to offer, and then Boston College came in next," he said of the grow- ing interest in Montelus. "[Irish de- fensive coordinator and linebackers] Coach [Bob] Diaco was one of the coaches that came out to take a look, and he called a few months later after the staff evaluated him and decided to send the offer [in early March]." Montelus was born in Haiti, moved to Canada at the age of 2 and settled into Massachusetts at 9 years old. Despite entering high school at close to 200 pounds, he now weighs 305 pounds and doesn't turn 17 until September. He has a max bench of 350 pounds and a max squat of 550 pounds, but the strides he was able to make to become an FBS-caliber player didn't occur overnight. "He's very physical on the line," Montelus, the No. 52 offensive tackle in the land according to 247Sports, allowed only one sack in 300 pass attempts while lining up on the left side as a junior. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS "He's a result of hard work, and he deserves everything he gets." Milo took an active role in Monte- ally good coaching staff," he shared when asked why he gave his pledge to head coach Brian Kelly and the Irish. "Notre Dame is the best pro- gram in the nation. I just knew it was the place to be. "Coach Kelly is a great guy. The whole visit was amazing. Notre Dame has great academic support and a great campus." Montelus felt like a "part of the lus' recruitment in an effort to have his player see as many of his options as possible. In fact, the week of his visit to Notre Dame for the Blue- Gold Game on April 21 he made a one-day trip to Florida and actually named the Gators his leader. "I didn't push him toward any school," the offensive line coach said. "I helped take him places, and it was always up to him to decide. It was our first time to Notre Dame, and the place just sells itself. He got into how friendly the people were. "He's been level-headed about the family" before even giving his pledge, and the fact that the coaching staff maintained he was the prospect they wanted to cap off the needs on the offensive line meant that much more to him. "The coaches left it open for me, and it made me feel special," Mon- telus said. "I really appreciate that. I'm just happy right now ,and I know Notre Dame is where I'm supposed to be." ✦ whole thing. I didn't expect him to commit this quick and thought he would wait, but he really liked it over there. He had a big smile on his face the whole drive home, and I'm glad it worked out. "We're all very excited, and he's going to be a good match out there." Montelus, who landed nearly 30 Milo said of his player. "He has gained a lot of confidence, and when he strikes someone he knocks their head off. He finishes the play, and he doesn't let up. He's big, but he's mobile and he can get out on the screens. 42 MAY 2012 offers after only giving up one sack in 300 pass attempts while lining up as a left tackle, was an ideal fit for the Irish as a guard-tackle combo to fill the fifth spot in the 2013 recruit- ing haul. "He is a nice blend of size and athleticism," 247Sports national re- as a player … Mirrors the defender well and is the low man off of the line … Gets out quickly on screens and can pull well, giving him a high ceiling after transitioning to an interior lineman … Protects the pocket well in both the inside and outside gap and is the type of coachable player that will continue to grow in a successful program. player that can stand his ground and move the pile … Gets locked into the first read a bit which can make a lane at the next level when he faces more line stunts, but that will come with additional experience … Shows good ef- fort overall, but needs to add conditioning to keep moving until the whistle. Areas To Improve Absorbs the contact at times, but is a stout Strengths Has good feet and so much room to grow FILM ANALYSIS — Jason Sapp BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED