With Notre Dame looking to build depth in their defensive secondary, the Irish have secured commitments from some of the top defensive backs in the 2013 recruiting class with Cole Luke, Rashad Kinlaw and Devin Butler. With the success the Notre Dame has had on the field this season, a number of 2014 prospects have already started to take notice and quite a few are hoping to catch the Irish’s attention as well, and that includes First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.) safety Reggan Northrup.
“I'm definitely interested in hearing from Notre Dame,” said Northrup sincerely. “I know they have a great team and I know they have great academics. I've heard a lot about them from my brother and I've also heard a lot of good things from other players that have visited there. There's no doubt it would definitely be a school I'd be interested in.”
The talented defensive back’s brother is no other than, 2012 four-star linebacker, Reggie Northrup. The elder Northrup now plays football for Florida State and had close to 30 offers coming out of high school from around the nation, including Notre Dame.
“My brother’s given me a lot of good advice about recruiting,” he shared. “He told me that once you start receiving offers, usually other schools start calling after that. He said, eventually, things will get harder when you start going through everything and there's a lot of things to manage, but he told me that it all pays off at the end.”
The Florida standout has watched his recruitment heat up lately and has just received his first couple verbal offers of what’s sure to be many to come.
“Right now, I have two offers from North Carolina and Akron,” claimed Northrup. “I've also heard from Louisville, Minnesota, Iowa State and South Carolina. To tell you the truth, I never thought this day would come. I had to hit my growth spurt first and then I started to get serious about football. I had to put in a lot of hard work and things have started to work out for me.”
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound prospect helped lead First Coast to a 10-1 record this year before losing a heartbreaker to Buchholz in the playoffs, 10-7.
“This year I've learned a lot in terms of leadership and how to carry myself correctly,” he explained. “After losing in the playoffs, I now know how it feels to lose and I never want to feel that feeling again. I'm going to continue to work hard and help my team next year to work hard also. That way we can do a lot better than we did this year.”
Northrup knows that being a leader is also about setting a good example on the gridiron.
“I'm very aggressive, but I'm also very aware of my fundamentals,” explained the dynamic defensive back. “I'm always trying to do the little things that help me execute on the field. I like to use my hands a lot, so I can get off blocks and make the tackle. I have fast game speed and you'll always see me moving when I'm on the field. I never quit.”
That also includes preparing to make a devastating hit.
“When I'm getting ready to make a tackle, I don't really think about anything,” he admitted. “It's pretty much just instinct and I do what I do. I always make sure I look at their hips when I break down and I’m always ready to execute.”
While he waits to see what all his options will be, the talented junior knows he must have his priorities in order if he hopes to take full advantage of all that an institution can offer him academically.
“Like always, school comes first,” claimed Northrup decisively. “I have to make sure my grades are right all the time and then football comes second. It's difficult at times to manage both, but if you're determined you can do it. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to continue playing at the next level and I want to make sure I'm ready.”
