Notre Dame Side to Christian McCaffrey’s Mega-Deal?

Christian McCaffrey signed an extension today with the Carolina Panthers for that amount and it makes him the highest paid running back in the history of the NFL. You might be wondering what that has to do with Notre Dame, but it’s as simple as following the bloodline of college football:
Recruiting.

An average of $16 million dollars over four years. Is it even possible to spend that amount of money? It would require great effort to do so, I know that.

Christian McCaffrey signed an extension today with the Carolina Panthers for that amount and it makes him the highest paid running back in the history of the NFL. You might be wondering what that has to do with Notre Dame, but it’s as simple as following the bloodline of college football:

Recruiting.

Christian McCaffrey is the favorite player of North Carolina high school senior-to-be Will Shipley. Shipley is a big-time recruit and has been heavily pursued by Lance Taylor, the Notre Dame run game coordinator.

Taylor was also the college running backs coach of one Christian McCaffrey back during both their days at Stanford. Taylor left Stanford following the 2016 season to take a job with the Carolina Panthers as their wide receivers coach and was rejoined by McCaffrey who the Panthers selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Taylor took to Twitter to congratulate his former player for signing the monstrous deal on Monday.

I don’t think I’m crazy in thinking the congratulatory tweet by Taylor has a double meaning. Obviously he’s excited for his old running back that agreed to a historic deal. That’s not it though, at least I don’t believe it is.

I’m not saying Christian McCaffrey signing a record deal is the reason Will Shipley will one day sign at Notre Dame because first off, right now nobody knows where Shipley ends up. What I will say is that when you’re recruiting a player of that talent level, the connection from Shipley to Taylor to McCaffrey certainly only helps things.  Mix in the timing of this all going down as recruiting visits aren’t allowed and it may not be the deciding factor in Shipley’s ultimate decision, but it certainly is more than a nothing, too.

At least I’d guess that’s the way Lance Taylor sees it.

Stay tuned. Once the dead-period lifts it’s going to be all systems go to land one of the biggest prizes in the 2021 recruiting class.