Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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56 MARCH 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY DAVID MCKINNEY Football, in some fashion, was al- ways going to be in Cole Mabry's future. The Notre Dame offensive tackle signee was born into a fam- ily with pigskin running through its blood. Cole's father, Jeff Mabry, played at Middle Tennessee State, while his uncle Jeff headed to Ar- kansas and became an All-American offensive lineman in 1989. Before them, Mabry's grandfather played at Arkansas and his father, Mabry's great grandfather, played at Mississippi State. Mabry was born with a football and his hands, so it's no surprise that he'll carry the family name on to South Bend with him when he en- rolls this summer. Although the fam- ily history came with some pressure, Mabry said he wouldn't be in the position he's in today without it. "I couldn't have done this without them," he said. "They kind of know some of the football scene a little bit so they've advised me on stuff, but they also let me make my own decision." Of course, with two former Ar- kansas products on the family tree, Mabry said his relatives wanted him to take a look at the Razorbacks, but they are plenty happy with his deci- sion to head to Notre Dame. "They were all big Arkansas fans, but they let me make my own decision," he said. "Now we're all big Notre Dame fans." The entire family, not just the ones that played football, are excited to watch him transition to the next chapter in his life. "It's great," Mabry said. "They all love football and want me to succeed in football." M a b r y s a i d t h a t throughout his play- ing career, football has taught him all sorts of lessons that he never could have read in a book. "I think football is the ultimate teacher," he noted. "You learn a lot more on the field and from the coaches than I think you can in the classroom. It's made me a better person for sure." Football has brought Mabry a lot of opportunities in life, not the least of which is a full ride scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. Mabry said having "Notre Dame commit" attached to his name brought him a chance to be a leader, and he did his best to embrace that role dur- ing his final season of high school football. "Guys are going to look up to the Notre Dame commit," Mabry said. "I thought I'd try to use that as a pedes- tal to set a good exam- ple for everyone. "I was going to be a leader whether I wanted to or not, so I was going to try to be a good one." Mabry was a captain for Brentwood during his senior year, and he hopes he can have a "C" on his uniform again at Notre Dame. When it comes down to it, Mabry just wants to be the ultimate teammate. "If I'm in the weight room or on the field, it's really about wanting to do right by my teammates and coaches," he said. "They're investing in me and I want that to pay off for them. I want to bust my butt and be the best I can be for them." ✦ COLE MABRY OFFENSIVE TACKLE 6-5 · 275 BRENTWOOD H.S. BRENTWOOD, TENN. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 63 23 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 41 17 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 72 24 STATISTICS • Anchored a Brentwood offensive line that led the Bruins offense to an average of 32.0 points, 159.7 rushing yards and 212.0 passing yards per game in 2017. • Was part of an Brentwood offensive line that led the Bruins offense to an average of 31.0 points per game in 2016. HONORS • Named to the 2017 All-USA Tennessee first team by USA Today, plus received Class 6A first- team all-state honors from the Tennessee Sports Writers Association. • Tabbed as a Tennessee 7-5A all-region per- former as a junior and was a 6-6A all-region selec- tion as a senior. • Was a member of the 2017 Nashville Tennes- sean Dandy Dozen, a collection of seniors rated as the top prospects from the area, and was listed as one of the top 12 Tennessee players by Murphy Fair's Tennessee High School Football magazine. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Participated in the 2018 Offense-Defense All- American Bowl Dec. 30 in New Orleans. • Attended the Rivals Camp Series Atlanta re- gional on April 2, 2016. • Took part in the National Playmakers Academy "Lineman U" in Nashville in March 2016. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on Feb. 14, 2017, after a visit for Junior Day three days earlier, over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana and Memphis. • Primarily recruited by offensive coordinator Chip Long and former offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. • Took unofficial visits to South Bend for the Georgia (Sept. 9) and USC (Oct. 21) games. • Took an official visit to Notre Dame Dec. 8-10, 2017. NOTABLE • Born on April 6, 1999. • Boasts a 4.1 GPA. • His father, Jeff Mabry, played football at Middle Tennessee State. • Second Nashville area offensive lineman to sign with the Irish under Brian Kelly (Alex Bars, 2014). 2017 PROJECTION • With the depth returning to the roster it is expected that Mabry will redshirt in 2018. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "Cole Mabry comes from a strong football pedigree. He's got the in- tangibles and work ethic we're looking for in our offensive linemen." Offensive line coach Jeff Quinn: "I saw first-hand for a big guy and a lengthy guy, how quick he can move in and out of his stance and how disciplined he was with his eyes. He showed good strength and good technique. You could tell he'd been coached and he really had the fundamentals to bring to Notre Dame the things that we look for." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "A tall and skinny player lacking strength as a junior, Mabry filled out his frame and showed significantly more strength as a senior. Mabry played more like a mauling run blocker this past season. He fired off the line well, played with much better pad level, showed better leg drive and blew defenders off the ball at times. "Mabry actually got more explosive and showed better change of direction skills as a senior with the extra weight." Cole Mabry Wants To Be The Ultimate Teammate Mabry hopes he can be a captain at Notre Dame some day. He served in that role at Brentwood (Tenn.) High School as a senior. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM