Notre Dame’s first commitment for the Class of 2012 was a big one. Last night the Irish picked up a commitment from cornerback Tee Shepard (Fresno, Calif./Central), who might be the nation’s top cornerback prospect in this class.
Irish Sports Daily briefly caught up with the 6-foot-1 cornerback on his way into class.
“Yeah man, I committed to Notre Dame,” said an obviously excited Shepard. “I am happy to get it over with.”
Shepard had racked up an impressive offer list, but one school always stood out above the rest.”
“I didn’t want to play with the other coaches,” Shepard continued. “They have a job to do, and I didn’t want to lead them on. I just wanted to get it out of the way.”
“I mean, I had 27 offers, but I always wanted Notre Dame,” Shepard said. “I am excited.”
Shepard had offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, California, Colorado, Miami (FL), Oregon State, UCLA, USC, and Washington among many others.
Shepard has never been to Notre Dame, joining 2011 signee Jalen Brown (Irving, Texas/MacArthur) as another talented cornerback to commit to the Irish without ever visiting.
“I’ll be down there next month, I’m really excited to get up there,” Shepard concluded.
COMMENTS: Shepard is a huge pickup for the Irish coaches. Notre Dame landed two talented cornerbacks in Josh Atkinson and Brown in the Class of 2011, but the position continued to need a huge boost in talent and depth. Shepard has the size, strength, and cover ability to dominate in Notre Dame’s defense.
