Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2017 79 BY COREY BODDEN Notre Dame went to a familiar place to fill the program's need at rover in the 2018 class, honing in on Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep product Shayne Simon. The 6-3, 210-pounder is teammates with Irish defensive line commits Jayson and Justin Ademilola. Simon landed an offer from Notre Dame in January and became one of the top tar- gets for the defensive staff regardless of position. Simon made multiple trips to South Bend, including in mid-April and for the Irish Invasion in June. Michigan, Ohio State, Stanford, Penn State and UCLA were among the other top pro- grams vying for his services. Ultimately, Simon's connections to the Irish with the Ademilola twins and junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush, who also attended St. Peter 's Prep, gave Notre Dame the edge when he committed to head coach Brian Kelly's program on July 25. "Notre Dame has a comfortability factor just knowing that the twins are committed there and Brandon is there as well," Simon told Rivals after his commitment went public. "I'm very comfortable playing with Justin and Jayson. This will be my fourth year now with them, and I was with Brandon for one year before he graduated. I've had a good relation- ship with all three of those guys." Academics were an important part of Simon's decision, and Notre Dame fulfilled his desires. "The way they carry themselves and how they go about things at Notre Dame is something I really enjoy," Si- mon explained. "Their reputation for being such a great academic institution was also very intriguing to me." During the Irish Invasion, Simon ex- perienced first-hand how defensive coordinator Mike Elko and lineback- ers coach Clark Lea teach their players while he worked out during the camp. "I liked it a lot," Simon told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I like how they coach. They are intense, and they want the best for the players. "They are detailed-orientated coaches and preach straight lines and taking great angles. They also shared some stuff I need to work on in my game. "Coach Mike Elko, Coach Clark Lea, and all the new guys, they are bring- ing a whole new culture to the team. Coach Matt Balis is getting everyone up in the weight room as well." St. Peter 's Prep head coach Rich Hansen sees a comparison to one of his former players who is now an All- American defensive back at Alabama. "He's got some twitch that reminds us a lot of Minkah Fitzpatrick," Han- sen said. "It's very hard to compare anyone to Minkah. If there is anyone in that stratosphere it would be Shayne from a work ethic standpoint and as a kid. "I'm not sure he is a linearly as fast as Minkah, but he's quick and moves around. He plays a different position, but is similar in a lot of those ways." Off the field, Simon may be quiet and reserved — but he is a leader for the St. Peter's Prep program. Hansen described him as the "alpha dog" on the team. "What you see is what you get," Hansen explained. "He's a very quiet kid and very humble kid. Sometimes you really have to focus on reading him because he doesn't say much. "He commands respect on the field because he has a commanding de- meanor without being overwhelming. I think that's his personality. You can't teach that. He does a very good job at being a leader without knowing he is being a leader. That's a great compli- ment for him." Simon, whom Rivals ranks as the No. 141 overall player nationally, was one of only two players Notre Dame offered at the rover spot. He was one of eight commitments, as of Aug. 22, that participated in Nike Football's The Opening Finals this summer in Beaver- ton, Ore. Only Ohio State and Miami (Fla.) had more. ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Shayne Simon is an incredibly bright and in- stinctive player that is disruptive playing the football … Has a long and athletic frame which is ideal for the rover spot … Does everything you want the rover to do: defends the run well, is good in coverage and shows good timing and closing speed as a blitzer … Rangy athlete that plays well in space, a must for the rover spot … Is smooth and fluid, and moves around the field with ease … Has impressive change of direction ability, evidenced by his 4.07 shuttle time at the Nike Football The Opening Regional in New Jersey. . Areas For Improvement Needs to continue adding strength, especially in his lower body … With more strength he'll get better at handling the point of attack … Overall a very sound football player, but must work on using his hands better to beat blocks and to re-route receivers in coverage. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE SHAYNE SIMON Notre Dame Taps The St. Peter's Prep Pipeline Again Simon picked Notre Dame over Michigan, Ohio State, Stanford, Penn State and UCLA, due in large part to his connection with fellow 2018 Irish commits and Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep teammates Jayson and Justin Ademilola. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN