Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2018 37 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY COREY BODDEN In the summer of 2016, Bo Bauer had a choice. Play football and base- ball on the college level or poten- tially pass on a program he felt was a "dream school" in Notre Dame. The Irish staff liked the 6-2, 212-pound linebacker heading into his junior season and wanted him to be part of their 2018 class. At the time, Bauer was still playing baseball — the sport that was his first love while growing up — and was considering the possibility of being a two-sport athlete on the collegiate level. However, Notre Dame had some reservations about him taking on that workload if he were to wind up in South Bend due to playing line- backer and learning the defense. In the end, Bauer went with the "saf- est decision" he could make and ac- cepted a football offer to Notre Dame while giving up baseball entirely. "The education is so worldwide where I'm not going to have to use my body down the road," Bauer said. "That was my thinking, and I could use this to generate a lot of good opportunities and open doors down the road. "My dad's and my original plan was to get drafted, go as far as I could in baseball and pick up a football scholarship if it didn't work out." According to Bauer, there were thoughts he would wind up getting picked in the MLB Draft as a senior, so taking that path was a real option. "The Brewers were supposed to draft me when I was a junior in a mock draft," he said. "My coach for high school had communication with them when I was playing in ninth and 10th grade. They just lost interest when I told them I wasn't going to play anymore. "I did think I would play baseball in college. People were shocked when I ended up giving it up." Virginia, Vanderbilt and North Carolina were a few programs Bauer mentioned that were open to the pos- sibility of him playing both sports at their re- spective schools. "I played outfield," he stated. "I developed into having multiple tools, being a power hitter with a high batting av- erage and a strong arm." Bauer mentioned he hasn't even brought up playing the sport even with the coaching changes on the defensive side of the ball since he originally committed. A return to the sport after football is over isn't much of a thought right now. "To go and play baseball in the mi- nors for years would be hard," he said. "I don't think it would be as good as the field I would go into after football." ✦ BO BAUER LINEBACKER 6-2 · 212 CATHEDRAL PREP HARBORCREEK, PA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 158 5 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 14 13 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 26 15 STATISTICS • Recorded 106 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks while leading Cathedral Prep (14-0) to the Pennsylvania 4A state championship as a senior. • During his junior campaign, he registered 114 stops, 22 tackles for loss and 12 sacks while help- ing Cathedral Prep (14-0) to the 4A state title. • As a sophomore, compiled 104 tackles, 11 stops for loss and 3.5 sacks. HONORS • Was selected to Tom Lemming's 2017 Senior All-America Team. • Named a finalist for the 2017 High School But- kus Award (the nation's top linebacker). • Earned USA Today All-USA Pennsylvania first- team accolades at linebacker as a junior and senior. • Tabbed as the 2016 Class 4A Defensive Player of the Year by Pennsylvania Football News. • Tabbed as a three-time Pennsylvania sports- writers' all-state performer. • Four-star member of the PrepStar Top 300 Dream Team, and was ranked as the No. 3 in- side linebacker and No. 120 overall player in the country. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Took part in Nike Football's The Opening Cleve- land Regional on April 9, 2017. Recorded a 4.85 40-yard dash, 4.78 shuttle, 39-foot power ball toss and 37.2-inch vertical jump. • Participated in the Irish Invasion in both 2016 and 2017. • Invited to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta on June 10-11, 2016. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on Aug. 3, 2016, over offers from Iowa State, Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia and West Virginia. • Recruited initially by then-linebackers coach Mike Elston. Current linebackers coach and de- fensive coordinator Clark Lea took over Bauer's recruitment after he arrived last winter. • Took multiple game visits to Notre Dame in 2016 and 2017, and never wavered from his com- mitment. His official visit occurred for the USC game on Oct. 21, 2017. NOTABLE • Born on Dec. 11, 1999. • Finished high school career with a 52-3 record, including victories in his final 28 games with the school. • Was the only sophomore in the state of Penn- sylvania to be named to the first-team all-state defense in 2015. 2018 PROJECTION • An early enrollee, Bauer has the instincts, power and tackling ability to compete early for playing time. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "What did our program add with Bo Bauer's signing? A hard-nosed, throw- back student-athlete. "Bo's going to be a fan favorite for sure." Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Clark Lea: "Bo is an elite linear, straight-line, physi- cal linebacker. Bo is a machine off the field. … I think this place is really important to Bo. "… He set his sights on Notre Dame and didn't care who the coach was. He's gotten here and made impressions early in the weight room to be a guy that's to outwork everyone in the building." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Bauer isn't going to blow you away with elite athletic skills, but if you can look past that and focus on his abil- ity as a football player, he is impressive. "The Cathedral Prep standout is a high IQ de- fender, one that shows truly elite level instincts and anticipation. He quickly picks up his read key, makes fast decisions and then explodes downhill towards the football. "Despite his lack of pure speed, he shows good short-area quickness, and he displays good lateral speed when pursuing the ball carrier. Bauer is an extremely physical football player, but improving his pad level is a must. He has a great frame for a Mike linebacker and has tremendous intangibles. "Enrolling early will allow him to get a head start on adding the necessary weight and strength to play early on." Not Even Baseball Could Stop Bo Bauer From Being Irish Bauer has no regrets giving up baseball to pursue his football career at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN