Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2018 43 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY DAVID MCKINNEY Less than 1,200 people live in Ze- bulon, Ga., and just about every- body there knows the story of Pike County High School running back C'Bo Flemister. "Everywhere I go, I get stopped to talk about a game or to talk about college," Flemister said. "I just talk about football everywhere I go." The Notre Dame signee can barely walk a block without a fan pining for his attention, but Flemister is appre- ciative of his situation. "I don't take it for granted," he said. "I stop to talk to everybody who wants to talk to me. I never pass somebody without saying hey. "I'm trying to enjoy the moment and not take anything for granted. I love my community." Zebulon and its people have been a huge part of his upbringing both on and off the field. "Everybody's been so supportive," Flemister said. "People are always wanting to know how recruiting is going, how the games went, and how everything's been going." As a senior, Flemister led the state of Georgia in rushing with 2,348 yards to go along with 35 touchdowns. Those numbers caught the eyes of the Notre Dame coaching staff, and Flemister committed and signed with the Irish on National Signing Day Feb. 7. Being from such a small town, Flemister said he never imagined a school like Notre Dame w o u l d c o m e c a l l i n g . That said, he is excited to show people in his town that anything is possible. "Coming from where I'm from, you don't ex- pect somebody to get an opportunity like this to go play football at such a high level and get such a good education," Flemis- ter said. "I'm paving the way for a lot of kids in my community." Flemister views his Notre Dame opportunity as a way to put Zebu- lon on the map, and he knows how hard he'll have to work to get that done. "It's extremely exciting, but I feel responsible too," he said. "I don't want to tarnish the name of my town, I want to make everybody proud and make a good reputation for myself and my town." ✦ C'BO FLEMISTER RUNNING BACK 5-11 · 190 PIKE COUNTY H.S. ZEBULON, GA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — — — ✪ ✪ ✪ — 88 130 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 40 74 STATISTICS • Rushed for 2,348 yards — the most in the state of Georgia — and 35 touchdowns as a senior, while helping Pike County to a 9-4 mark and the Class AAA state quarterfinals. • Racked up 4,356 rushing yards and 58 touch- downs in his final two seasons at Pike County. Had 16 games with at least 100 rushing yards. HONORS • Named the Class AAA Offensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state by the Georgia Sports Writers Association, plus was an all-state selection by RecruitGeorgia.com. • Selected to the 2017 All-USA Georgia second team by USA Today. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Participated in Nike Football's The Opening Regional Atlanta on March 26, 2017. Recorded a 4.61-second 40-yard dash, a 4.21-second pro- shuttle and a 33.2-inch vertical jump. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on Feb. 7, 2018. • Originally pledged to Georgia Southern, and then Georgia Tech, before flipping to Notre Dame. • Primarily recruited to Notre Dame by running backs coach Autry Denson. • Took an official visit to Note Dame Dec. 26-28, 2017. NOTABLE • Born on June 20, 2000. • Boasts a 3.4 GPA. • Is the first Georgia running back to sign with Notre Dame since Darius Walker in 2004. • Finished second in the 110-meter hurdles at the Class AAA state championships as a junior. 2017 PROJECTION • Notre Dame's lack of depth at the position means every scholarship back will get a shot at cracking the rotation, including Flemister. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "C'Bo Flemister is a guy that really was attractive to us with his running style. From a football standpoint, we loved the fact that we had a north-and-south back here that played with low pads, and that's what we were looking for, a guy that could really hit it inside out for us and be extremely productive at the position. "He's a great fit for us, a really solid student that fits here at Notre Dame. We are really excited about C'Bo." Running backs coach Autry Denson: "From a faith standpoint, he's a very strong young man. From an academic standpoint, he's right on par with what we believe in. And from an athletic standpoint, I call him a throwback player. "He's a down and dirty, old school type of player." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Flemister likes to run through defenders more than he likes to make them miss, but he showed improved elusiveness as a senior. He has excellent agility and good balance, which combines with his ability to dip and rip through contact to make him highly effective at picking up yards after the initial hit. "Flemister's biggest issue right now is his tech- nique is all over the place. He's inefficient at the snap and his tracks need more consistent work. Those are things a good coach can fix quickly, and once his technique improves his initial speed and power will improve, raising his overall level of play. "It would not be a surprise if this late signee ends up being one of the biggest surprises in the class." C'Bo Flemister Wants To Put Zebulon, Ga., On The Map As a senior, Flemister ran for 2,348 yards — the most in the state of Georgia — and scored 35 touchdowns. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM