Notre Dame Looking To Make An Impact In Pennsylvania With The 2024 Recruiting Class
There was a time in Notre Dame's history that the state of Pennsylvania had been a very important recruiting base for the Fighting Irish. The Keystone State has produced stars like Joe Montana, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, Terry Hanratty and Johnny Lujack, just to name a few. In recent seasons, the state has produced stars like Will Fuller, Mike McGlinchey and Josh Adams.
The state has not been as productive to Notre Dame, with the Irish landing just three players from Pennsylvania in the last five seasons, and just one in the the last three.
Notre Dame is looking to make the state an even more impactful area with the 2024 class. The Irish have landed an early commitment from Pennsylvania with Malvern (Pa.) Prep offensive tackle Peter Jones, but the staff wants that to just be the beginning, especially when it comes to big boys.
TOP TARGETS
Arguably one of the most talented offensive linemen on the board is Reading (Pa.) Wyomissing two-way star Caleb Brewer. The 6-5, 300-pound athlete currently plays both tight end and defensive end for Wyomissing but projects easily as an offensive tackle or guard on the next level.
His combination of physicality, size and foot quickness is incredibly impressive. Brewer has the look of an outstanding offensive tackle down the road but could easily play either guard or center if it fits best.
Brewer currently has substantial interest in Notre Dame. He is fully aware of the quality of offensive lineman they have produced and the prestige the program brings. The Brewer family is set to visit the campus for the first time on April 1.
The Irish staff have a chance to be the clear leader leaving that trip.
Notre Dame is also keeping close tabs on Warminster (Pa.) Archbishop Wood offensive tackle Kevin Heywood, who was offered recently by the staff. The 6-7, 295-pound offensive lineman has a game reminiscent of 2023 signee Sullivan Absher.
He is big, powerful and nasty in his approach. While there are other names on the board that Notre Dame may be pushing for more, Heywood is an impressive player that the Irish staff likes. He brings a play style that Harry Hiestand has been drawn to tremendously in the past, and Hiestand has already made two trips out to Archbishop Wood in recent weeks.
There is little doubt that Heywood would fit right into the room.
On the defensive side of the football, Landisville (Pa.) Hempfield defensive lineman Deyvid Palepale is one of the more intriguing players on the board for Notre Dame. The 6-2, 305-pound defensive lineman is an impressive mover for a player his size.
Palepale brings playmaking potential up front, having the type of profile to play multiple alignments for a defense. He was originally planning on attending IMG Academy for his senior year but recently announced that he will be staying at Hempfield.
The talented defender spent the first fourteen years of his life living in Alaska before coming to Pennsylvania as a high school freshman. He is also the cousin of former Oregon stars Penei and Noah Sewell. Palepale has an impressive and interesting backstory, on top of some outstanding junior film.
It is a crowded defensive line board for the Irish right now but Palepale is a player they like quite a bit. He has the look of a modern nose tackle who can do the dirty work while bringing some playmaking potential to the table.
Notre Dame also recently offered Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic linebacker Cole Sullivan. The 6-3, 200-pound edge player has been on campus before and we'll see over the next few weeks just how high he is on the Irish board. But the offer to Sullivan is just another example of Notre Dame dipping back into the state of Pennsylvania.
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