Tag: Sam Pendleton

Notre Dame hosting their next commitment Tuesday?

Do the Irish close the deal here?

Notre Dame’s 2023 recruiting class swelled to 10 members Monday night when [autotag]Sam Pendleton[/autotag] became the first offensive lineman to give his verbal commitment to the class.  Could the 11th commitment soon be coming?

Defensive lineman Boubacar Traore, a former [autotag]Boston College[/autotag] commitment and four-star prospect according to 247Sports, is on Notre Dame’s campus Tuesday.

Traore committed to Boston College on August 5, 2020 but decommitted in March.  Michigan and Pitt are also known to have offered him a scholarship and currently all four crystal ball predictions for Traore on 247Sports have him ultimately choosing Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame.

Traore is listed at 6-4, 250-pounds from Catholic Memorial High School in Massachusetts.  He’s the younger brother of former LSU offensive tackle who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Stay tuned to see if the Irish can close the deal and land another star in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[lawrence-related id=55381]

[lawrence-related id=54336]

[listicle id=29791]

Meet Notre Dame’s Now Complete 2023 Recruiting Class

Meet Notre Dame’s 26 current commitments in what is a top-five class nationally.

After a whirlwind couple of years the 2023 recruiting class has officially been completed at Notre Dame.  What started out tremendously hit a few snags along the way.  It closed with one of the strangest signing day stories you’ll ever see when Peyton Bowen bailed on Notre Dame for Oregon, only to change his mind and bail on Oregon for Oklahoma just a day later.

In all, Notre Dame wound up with 24 signed commitments after the second signing period in February.  It didn’t finish in the top couple of spots nationally like we had hoped after it’s tremendous start but will continue to add to the overall talent for Notre Dame.

Here are the 24 newest members of the Notre Dame football team:

Notre Dame Football 2023 early signing day tracker

This class didn’t waste any time getting their signatures to South Bend

It is finally upon us, the hard work the Irish football staff has put in can finally but a “bow” on the 2023 recruiting cycle. Yes, there is still another point where recruits can sign, but Marcus Freeman and his staff have already maxed out the class with verbals and if everyone signs, they will be one over the normal allotment of 25 players.

A few of the verbals didn’t waste any time faxing their information over to South Bend but they should keep coming in as the day proceeds. Find out below which Irish commitments have made their Notre Dame pledges complete. (This list will be updated as the day goes on so make sure to return.)

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Breaking: Notre Dame loses another 2023 commitment

Not the best recruiting news at all

At one point during this 2023 recruiting cycle, Notre Dame held the top spot in the nation but things have certainly changed since sitting atop the recruiting world earlier this year. First it was [autotag]Sedrick Irvin Jr.[/autotag], then [autotag]Justyn Rhett[/autotag] and the biggest decommit, [autotag]Keon Keeley[/autotag].

Keely obviously hurt the most, as he was the highest rated commit and was on the Ohio State sidelines shortly after formally announcing he was not a part of the Irish class anymore.

Today the fourth decommit of the 2023 cycle happened for the Irish as Arizona offensive lineman [autotag]Elijah Paige[/autotag] has decided to step away from his pledge to Notre Dame.

This one was a bit surprising as there was no smoke to Paige leaving the class. With Paige gone, the Irish have twenty-two verbals with four offensive lineman ([autotag]Charles Jagusah[/autotag], [autotag]Sullivan Absher[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Otting[/autotag], and [autotag]Sam Pendleton[/autotag]).

[lawrence-related id=61188]

[listicle id=56231]

[listicle id=29791]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

The Great Wall of South Bend get’s another 2023 commitment

The wall is now complete

Earlier this week 2023 offensive lineman commit [autotag]Sam Pendleton[/autotag] had a feeling that there was another player joining his position group. He was so confident that he posted a picture on Twitter about it.

Well, Pendleton, or shall we say Samstradamus, was correct as Illinois offensive tackle [autotag]Charles Jagusah[/autotag] verbally committed to Notre Dame today. The six-foot-six-inch and 290-pound tackle announced via his Twitter account the he was joining the 2023 Irish recruiting class. Jagusah now makes it an even five commits, joining Pendleton, [autotag]Sullivan Absher[/autotag], [autotag]Elijah Paige[/autotag], and [autotag]Joe Otting[/autotag] in the group. Jagusah, however is viewed as the crown jewel of the bunch.

Ranked as one of the best players at his position, tackle, Jagusah held offers from LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and others before ultimately selecting the Irish. The verbal most likely finishes off the pursuit of other offensive lineman in the class, which now in total sits at 16 commits.

[lawrence-related id=57990]

[lawrence-related id=58032]

[listicle id=29791]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Current Notre Dame commit tries to entice recruit who commits this week

“The Great Wall of South Bend” could be close to completion

The offensive line has long been a strength for the Irish, often the moniker of [autotag]“O-Line U”[/autotag] is dropped when talking about the tradition. That tradition has a very good chance of succeeding, in the present and beyond.

Center [autotag]Jarrett Patterson[/autotag] was named a 1st team preseason All-American by Walter Camp. Rising sophomores [autotag]Joe Alt[/autotag] and [autotag]Blake Fisher[/autotag] look like stalwarts on the line for at least the next two seasons before their inevitable move to the NFL.

The 2023 recruiting class is trying to hold up their end of the bargain with [autotag]Sullivan Absher[/autotag], [autotag]Elijah Paige[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Pendleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Otting[/autotag] currently committed to the Irish. Pendleton is looking for yet another lineman to join the class, Illinois tackle [autotag]Charles Jagusah[/autotag].

If Jagusah is to commit, which he intends to do this Thursday, it would make a very impressive five commits along the line and most likely would complete the position for the 2023 cycle. As Pendleton put it, “The Great Wall of South Bend” would be complete with Jagusah.

[lawrence-related id=57979]

[lawrence-related id=57910]

[listicle id=57985]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Top Illinois offensive lineman includes Notre Dame in official visit schedule

Come east young man

The Irish are looking for more than just one other offensive lineman to join current 2023 commits Sullivan Absher and Sam Pendleton. Fresh off the news that Notre Dame is a legit candidate for Massachusetts five-star tackle Samson Okunlola, there is another development along the lines.

In a report from 247Sports Steve Wiltfong, Illinois offensive tackle Charles Jagusah has set four of his five official visit dates. Along with a trip to South Bend, the six-foot-six-inch and 310-pound tackle will visit Missouri, Arkansas and Michigan with a fifth still up in the air.

It wasn’t just finding out about the visit that was good news for Marcus Freeman, also the breakdown from Jagusah on why he’s still considering the Irish. “Notre Dame is close. Also a great team with a great tradition. Top-notch offensive line coach and he’s developed a very close relationship with Harry (Hiestand),” is what his mother, Sheila Doak, told Wiltfong.

At the current moment, the Irish are Jagusah’s last scheduled visit, but with one remaining that could change.

[listicle id=29791]

[lawrence-related id=56301]

[lawrence-related id=56297]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

247Sports: Notre Dame in the mix for nations top 2023 offensive tackle

If Freeman and Hiestand pull this one off…. WOW

For many years the Irish held the mantle of [autotag]O-Line U[/autotag] and although recently there has been a slight lull in production, they could very well be taking back the title. On the current roster, three offensive linemen, tackles [autotag]Blake Fisher[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Alt[/autotag] along with center [autotag]Jarrett Patterson[/autotag] will be drafted high when they declare to the NFL.

Of the 2022 recruiting class, [autotag]Billy Schrauth[/autotag], [autotag]Joey Tanona[/autotag], [autotag]Ty Chan[/autotag] and [autotag]Aamil Wagner[/autotag] were some of the most highly thought of signees, each of them will start their careers on the o-line as well. The 2023 class already has commitments from [autotag]Sullivan Absher[/autotag] and [autotag]Sam Pendleton[/autotag], but [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] is still looking for the headliner of the offensive line.

Enter Massachusetts’ [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag], a six-foot-six-inch and 295-pound future star. He’s viewed as a five-star prospect and 247Sports Brian Dohn believes that the Irish are one of the few teams that realistically have a shot at landing Okunlola’s eventual signature.

It won’t be easy for returning offensive line coach [autotag]Harry Hiestand[/autotag], as Penn State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Texas A&M, Oregon, Florida, and Pittsburgh were also mentioned as potential destinations for Okunlola as well.

Dohn, however gives the Irish a fighting chance, due to “the academics, the idea of what the degree means on a national level after graduation and playing at a prestigious school are all things that could resonate” with the mammoth tackle. What isn’t in the Irish’s favor however was that Okunlola has very to visit South Bend and didn’t stop by during his spring visit to the Midwest.

As Dohn mentions that Okunlola will take visits later in the year and most likely very few will be during the season due to his high school playing all their games on Saturday’s. Either way, Freeman and Hiestand are in for quite a battle for the tackles eventual signature, but one where they currently are seen as having a legit shot at.

[listicle id=29791]

[lawrence-related id=56297]

[lawrence-related id=56287]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Star offensive lineman to announce college choice Friday

Does he end up Irish?

Somebody is going to be getting a highly sought after offensive lineman recruit this Friday afternoon when [autotag]Sullivan Absher[/autotag] of Belmont, North Carolina announces his college decision.

Absher is rated as four star recruit according to 247Sports as they rank him as the 201st best player nationally in the 2023 recruiting cycle.  He stands as a mountain of a young man at 6-7, weighing 290-pounds and Notre Dame is joined by Clemson and North Carolina State as his three finalists.

Absher will make his announcement at 4:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports HQ.  Notre Dame currently has one offensive lineman committed in the 2023 class, [autotag]Sam Pendleton[/autotag] who is also from North Carolina.

Check out highlights of Absher below.

[listicle id=29791]

Notre Dame offensive line target sets commitment day for next week

Does he stay local or head to South Bend???

The Irish continue to have one of the best 2023 recruiting classes in the country and are not nearly finished adding quality prospects to the mix. Recently, defensive end Boubacar Traore joined the fold and potentially another name to add to the list later today as another defensive lineman Devan Houstan is set to make his verbal commitment this afternoon.

For North Carolina offensive lineman Sullivan Absher, the time is near for him to make his commitment. The six-foot-seven-inch and 290-pound mauler announced via his Twitter account yesterday that he will make his verbal pledge next Friday, May 13th, at 4pm EST. His final three school include the Irish, NC State and Clemson.

The Irish have been in the mix for Absher for a while and picking up a commitment from him would be a very impressive recruiting win. With just one other current offensive lineman committed, North Carolina’s Sam Pendleton, Absher would not only fill a need but the Irish would beat out two ACC foes for his commitment.

[listicle id=29791]

[lawrence-related id=55766]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen