Notre Dame Eyeing A Talented 2022 Legacy
The Notre Dame coaching staff has been busy over the past week, and it doesn’t look like that will be slowing down any time soon. After offering two 2022 linebackers in recent days, they could be on the verge of offering another standout hybrid athlete.
Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central athlete Nolan Ziegler is an intriguing recruit that could fill many different roles at the FBS level. Listed at 6-4, 205-pounds, Ziegler plays safety for Catholic Central, but in college he could transition to many different spots and that is exactly what schools of interest have been telling him.
“Every school kind of sees me different right now,” he told Irish Breakdown. “Boston College likes me in a hybrid safety/linebacker role. Nebraska sees me at outside linebacker. Northwestern sees me playing in the middle. It’s really been all around, and depends on who I talk to. Maybe if I grow even more, I could transition to defensive end. Right now, I just want to see how my body develops.”
The three-star prospect on 247sports holds early offers from Boston College, Iowa, Nebraska and Cincinnati on top of many mid-major programs. He is also receiving interest from most of the Big Ten, Notre Dame and Florida State.
“I’ve had a little bit of communication with the Notre Dame staff,” he stated. “I actually spoke with Coach (Jeff) Quinn Tuesday morning, and we are going to start talking every Monday now. That call was great.”
“I’ve been talking with Florida State a lot recently, and I get a lot of mail from Michigan,” he continued. “My coach has been communicating with a lot of schools and tells me Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State are all interested. I’m just waiting until they can start contacting me in September.”
Ziegler’s grandfather on his mom’s side is former Notre Dame great and All-American linebacker Tim Sullivan, and he also has a great uncle on his dad’s side that backed up former Notre Dame quarterback Tom Clements. The connection to Notre Dame is obvious, and he admitted his family is full of Notre Dame fans, so the offer would be a big one for the family. However, Ziegler also has Big Ten bloodlines and those connections are important as well.
“My grandpa played at Notre Dame and won the National Championship over Alabama in 1973,” he stated. “An offer from them would be huge for my family, because we are all Notre Dame fans.
“I have connections to other schools as well,” he continued. “My dad’s brother played at Illinois, and my great grandpa was a running back at Michigan. And then my grandpa that played at Notre Dame had brothers and cousins that played at Iowa and Nebraska.”
When it comes time to make a decision, Ziegler wants to find a place that offers him the best of both worlds. He told Irish Breakdown that he would like to have a college decision prior to his senior year of high school, but he also isn’t afraid to extend it all the way to signing day if need be. A school that can offer him the best blend of high level football, high level academics and a welcoming environment will be what ultimately sways him.
“I want to be able to set myself up for the next forty years,” the rangy athlete stated. “I want to go to a school with a good networking and alumni base. That is really important to me.
“I also want a good fit,” he continued. “I want to play for a good program where I feel most welcomed and have the best relationship with the head coach and the rest of the staff. I want the coaches to be able to push me.”
Notre Dame could be close to offering the rising junior. Talks have been picked up here in the last week, and with a need at linebacker in 2022 he would seem like a logical offer candidate. As a sophomore, he led Catholic Central to the Michigan (MHSAA) 2019 4A State Championship and was a standout on both sides of the ball.
On defense, he totaled 78 tackles, one forced fumble, four interceptions and returned two of those picks for touchdowns. With his safety and wide receiver background, he shows off great speed and instincts on defense as a player that should thrive as he continues to grow and moves closer to the line of scrimmage. This will definitely be a recruitment to monitor moving forward.
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