On most National Signing Days, fans hope for surprises, but not the kind of surprise Notre Dame fans got on Wednesday.
Fresno, Calif., wide receiver Deontay Greenberry had been committed to the Irish since May, but pulled possibly the biggest shocker in the country on Wednesday, when he signed instead with the Houston Cougars.
“I just watched him sign the papers,” Washington Union head coach Jeff Freitas told Irish Sports Daily.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder said he’d take official visits elsewhere, but always maintained he’d sign with Notre Dame, which would give him the chance to play with his cousin, Tee Shepard, a cornerback who enrolled at South Bend last month.
Clearly something changed.
Greenberry took officials to Notre Dame, Arizona State and USC before taking one final visit to Houston last weekend. He had built a good relationship with the Cougars’ new wide receiver coach Jamie Christian, who recruited him to Arizona State.
“Evidently he really liked the University liked the coaches, liked the players and felt like it was home for him,” Freitas said. “He felt like it was his decision and wasn’t just following his buddy Tee.”
Losing Greenberry is a huge blow to a Notre Dame recruiting class that already suffered decommitments from Maryland cornerback Ronald Darby and Ohio offensive lineman Taylor Decker.
