With the recruiting Class of 2012 signed, sealed and delivered the Notre Dame coaching staff has turned its attention to the Class of 2013. In fact, the ink wasn’t even dry on the faxed letters of intent before the staff began calling recruits in the Class of 2013.
Last week, Irish Sports Daily spoke to two young men in the class of 2013 who are being recruited by Notre Dame. One of them already has an Irish offer and the other hopes to receive one very soon. What have you been missing by not being a member of Irish Sports Daily?
Taco Charlton, DE, 6-6, 240, Pickerington Central High School, Pickerington, OH received a message to call Notre Dame assistant Mike Elston last Wednesday. If Charlton didn’t realize how important he was to Notre Dame before the phone call, he certainly did by the time he hung up.
“I called him,” Charlton said of Elston. “He was just saying I’m their main guy and that they’re really not after a lot of Ohio guys, but they really want me. They think I’d be a big part of their 2013 class.”
Charlton already has a connection to Notre Dame. As a sophomore, he played on the same team as current Irish player Eilar Hardy.
“It’s always good just to hear from ND in general, especially when I’m talking to Eilar,” said Charlton. “He loves it down there. It’s always good to hear from them and then just to hear that I’m a top priority for them in the 2013 class is a very good thing too.”
Charlton visited South Bend last season for the Notre Dame-USC game and is looking forward to returning.
“I’m definitely going to take a visit there again,” he said. “We’ll see how things go once basketball dies down. Maybe I could make it in the spring or summer or get there again for another game.”
Though the talented Ohioan has numerous scholarship offers from schools like Notre Dame, Michigan, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Cincinnati, he has yet to really focus on football recruiting. He doesn’t have a list of favorites at this point.
“With basketball going on, I haven’t had time to sit down and think about things too much,” he explained. “I’ve been so busy with basketball and trying to help my team win.”
Charlton has been amazed at how quickly his time in the spotlight has come.
“It’s amazing how close it is for our class,” he related. “One more year and I’m going to be signing.”
Notre Dame only signed two offensive linemen in the Class of 2012 so that position is clearly going to be a need in the Class of 2013.
Fortunately for the Irish, the Midwest looks to be loaded with quality offensive linemen and they hope to sign their share. One of the talented players high on the Notre Dame wish list is Colin McGovern. McGovern, OL, 6-6, 285, Lincoln Way-West High School, New Lenox, IL only recently heard from Notre Dame but has every reason to believe that a scholarship offer may be coming soon.
“Coach (Chuck) Martin called my head coach and told him to have me give him a call,” said McGovern. “He (Martin) let me know they were very interested in me and they like my highlights, but they need to see my transcripts before they offer. We also talked about what Notre Dame has to offer and what’s expected of the student-athletes at Notre Dame.”
McGovern was told that if his transcripts check out that a Notre Dame offer will be soon forthcoming.
“As long as my transcripts look good, I’ll have an offer,” related McGovern. “I take my academics very serious, so I think I’ll be all right. My coach just sent transcripts out (Thursday), but I know Notre Dame coaches are on a four-day weekend. I’m guessing I should hear back sometime next week since they’re having a long weekend.”
Like Charlton, McGovern hasn’t really focused very much on recruiting yet. Right now he’s just gathering information.
“It’s still very early, so I don’t have any favorites,” he said. “I’m just looking for the best opportunity for me. I never had a favorite team growing up, so I’m wide open. I know Notre Dame is a great school and I’d be honored to get an offer from such a prestigious academic school.”
McGovern has been to Notre Dame but never as a prospect. He’s looking forward to seeing the campus as a prospect, hopefully one with a Notre Dame scholarship offer.
“Coach Martin told me about their Junior Day at the end of March,” said McGovern. “I think I’m going to get out there for that. Hopefully when I go up there I have an offer.”
McGovern, while not professing any favorites, does have an idea of how he would like his recruiting to go.
“Ideally, I’d like to have a decision made before my senior season,” he stated. “I won’t rush to a decision, but it would be nice to have it out of the way before my senior year starts. If not, I’ll make a decision whenever it feels right.”
These two summaries represent just a sample of the Notre Dame football recruiting information available each week on Irish Sports Daily.
