Irish get a jump on key 2007 recruits

By J.E.  |   Tuesday, March 07, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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It was just a little over a month ago that Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Charlie Weis held a press conference to introduce the 27 newest members of the football squad. Notre Dame's recruiting class of 2006 featured such highly sought-after prospects as OT Sam Young, ILB Toryan Smith, OG Matt Carufel, and CB Raeshon McNeil, and was ranked among the top-5 incoming classes in the country in terms of overall talent. The number of top prospects that opted to come to Notre Dame was a clear indication that Weis' presence at the university is continuing to pay big dividends both on the field and off.

But instead of resting on his laurels and waiting for spring ball to commence, Weis chose to remain actively involved in the team's recruiting efforts. With the ink now dry on all of the letters of intent from this year's recruits, Weis has been looking ahead to 2007 and has already secured verbal commitments from future stars Kerry Neal and Aaron Nagel.

Neal, who stands at 6'2" and weighs 225 pounds, is considered to be one of the best high school defensive ends in the country. He is an aggressive pass rusher who racked up 14 and a half sacks as a junior last season. In addition, Neal notched 111 tackles and nabbed two interceptions en route to becoming the defensive Player of the Year in his school's conference. He currently attends Bunn High School in North Carolina, and is slated to visit the Notre Dame campus sometime soon before formalizing his commitment.

Nagel (6'2", 215 lbs) logged extensive playing time as both a running back and a safety during his junior year at Lemont Township High School in Illinois, but will likely join the Irish as an outside linebacker. That's just fine by Nagel, who expressed a definite preference for playing defense.

"Defense is my passion," he told the Chicago Sun-Times. "I like to hit people."

Nagel is listed as one of the top prospects in the Midwest, and has the offers to prove it. He reportedly turned down scholarships to Purdue, Stanford, and Northwestern (among others) in order to play at Notre Dame, which has always been his "dream school."

The fact that Weis is still working hard to solidify the Notre Dame squad for years to come ought to come as no surprise to those familiar with the coach's history. After all, Weis was a part of the New England Patriots' dynasty that won three Super Bowls in four years, so he knows what it takes to bring sustained success to a football program. This is good news for Irish fans that have been waiting for a dynasty of their own.
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