Coleman Patterson made the trip up to South Bend last fall and the 2014 Texas receiver could be coming back this spring.
“I got an email and they invited me to their spring game,” the 6-foot-1, 175-pounder from Whitehouse High School in Whitehouse, Texas said.
“I came up on a visit when they played Michigan. It’s a nice place, I liked it a lot. The atmosphere was legit. It was cool being right there with the players. It was a good one. Of all the ones I’d been to, I liked it a lot.”
Patterson was excited to make the trip to Notre Dame last fall.
“I got my name on the radar a little bit last year and over the summer, I tried to get my name out as much as I could,” he said. “Also, my dad has a contact with the women’s soccer coach, he coached him in college, he was able to do that and the coaches were able to find out about me and I came to the game.
“It’s a small campus, but it feels like it’s a huge town. The people are great there. The academics are great, academics are huge for me. I’m an A-plus student. I’m not just an athletic kid. The different players and coaches were cool.”
Patterson, who also made stops at Texas A&M and Texas State last fall, has had some contact with the Irish since.
“I have a little bit – not as much as I have with other schools – but a little bit now and then,” said Patterson. “I’m trying to get my name out there more and more.”
He’s hoping to make the trip back to Notre Dame next month.
“I’m going to shoot for it,” he said. “I’ve got to talk to my dad, it’s a pretty big flight and baseball is pretty hectic right now. I’m pretty focused on that, but I may be able to, I don’t know yet.”
Patterson is still looking for his first offer, but has also had contact with Texas A&M, Texas State, Rice, Kansas and Vanderbilt.
“I run a 4.4, so speed is a strength of mine,” he said. “I have good hands and I’ll get up field. I’m very shifty, I’ll get around people and my quickness helps me run good routes.”
He played in the slot last year next to Dylan Cantrell, who signed with Texas Tech last month.
“Boy, did I love him blocking for me on some of those screens,” Patterson laughed.
It’s still early, but people will be important to Patterson when he makes a decision.
“I want to make sure I have a great relationship with the coaches, the players and the people at the college,” he said. “Second, academics. I want to make sure it’s a good academic school. I want to make sure I’m going graduate with a good major, make sure I’m going to get the help that I need. Also, athletics. I want them to be a solid program, a good passing program.”
