Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/897211
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 13, 2017 43 BY DAVID MCKINNEY Notre Dame picked up its 18th commitment in the class of 2018 on Nov. 1, when Etiwanda (Calif.) High three-star wide receiver Geordon Por- ter announced his pledge to the Irish. The 6-2, 175-pound Porter chose the Irish over several other offers, in- cluding Pac-12 schools Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State and Utah. Rivals' No. 11 receiver in Califor- nia said he ultimately picked Notre Dame because it was too good an opportunity to pass up. "You can't go wrong with that school," Porter told Blue & Gold Illus- trated. "You'll have a degree and a life after football. I just like the tradition and the alumni there. There's connec- tions all over the world." The two biggest goals in Porter 's recruitment were finding a school that had strong academics and a football program that could help him achieve his dream of eventually play- ing in the NFL. A Sept. 9 official visit to South Bend helped Porter realize that Notre Dame could be that place for him. "I like the coaching staff there and the good academics," he said. "It's a great school to get a degree from, and they've got a balanced attack on offense with running the ball, play action and all that good stuff." On Oct. 31, the night before Por- ter announced his decision, the first edition of the 2017 College Football Playoff rankings were released, and Notre Dame checked in at No. 3. The massive turnaround season in South Bend has Porter excited about being Irish come the fall of 2018. "Obviously, Notre Dame is a great school," he said. "They're doing re- ally well right now." Academics and football played a big part in Porter 's decision to be sure, but the new Notre Dame pledge also put a lot of stock in relationships. The California talent's main re- cruiters at Notre Dame were wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexan- der and special teams/recruiting co- ordinator Brian Polian. Porter said he built a strong rela- tionship with both coaches, and that played a big part in his decision to pick Notre Dame. "It's really great," he said of his relationship with the Notre Dame staff. "They're [Polian and Alexan- der] both great guys. I love the way they've approached me and the way they kept in touch with me through- out the recruiting process." Porter found a home in South Bend, and Etiwanda head coach Kevin Davis said the speedy wide receiver should be a perfect fit in the Irish program. "He's a high-character kid and he carries himself really well on cam- pus," Davis said. "He's always posi- tive, and from what I know about the program, I definitely see him as a good fit. For sure." According to Davis, the first thing most people notice about Porter 's game is his speed — he has a per- sonal best of 10.68 in the 100 meters, but the Etiwanda coach said there's much more to the new Notre Dame commit than just how fast he can run. "We have our team vote for captains, and he was voted one of our four cap- tains this year," Davis said. "From a character standpoint, he does his part and has the trust of his teammates." Davis said early on in the season, it was easy to tell Porter would be willing to take on a leadership role. "We've got some really great senior leadership this year," Davis said. "As we got into our winter conditioning and spring practice, you saw some guys that are naturally going to take that leadership role, and he was one of them for sure." While Porter isn't the loudest or most vocal player at Etiwanda, Davis said his attitude in practice and play on Friday nights says plenty. "He's a great competitor," Davis said. "He's not always a rah-rah guy, but when it's time to play, you definitely see the beast come out of him. He loves to compete and is very physical." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Notre Dame wanted to add more speed to its wide receiver position, and Geordon Porter cer- tainly brings a lot of that to the table … Has the speed and tools to be a true deep threat early in his career … Not a make-you-miss player, but if he gets a crease on a short throw he can split it and rip off big plays … Shows strong hands, and as a senior his catching technique improved a great deal … Will compete for the football in traffic, and with added strength he could be a top-level pass catcher. Areas For Improvement At times, body catches the ball, so using his hands more is something he will need to work on … Has some hip tightness and he's a bit underdeveloped as a route runner, but it is something that can certainly be improved upon over time. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE GEORDON PORTER California Receiver Spurns Pac-12 Powers For Notre Dame Porter chose Notre Dame over a final group that consisted of Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State and Utah. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL