Notre Dame Standing Out Early With Talented 2023 Defensive End
Notre Dame defensive line coach Mike Elston has done a great job in recent seasons of landing his top targets early in the process, and the benefit is the Irish coach getting a jump on future classes.
Elston is already working on the 2023 class, and one of the top early targets is Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola standout Derrick LeBlanc, who received an offer from the Irish just over a week ago.
There are currently no national rankings for the 2023 class, but when Rivals and 247Sports do finally get around to ranking that group you can expect LeBlanc to be among the nation’s top defensive ends.
The Notre Dame staff offered LeBlanc early in hopes of getting an early jump start on building a strong connection. Elston has already made his mark on the young defensive end.
“(The Notre Dame offer) really meant a lot to me,” LeBlanc said. “I have been talking to Coach Elston since December, and he has known who I was for a while. He focused on building a relationship with me rather than throwing an offer at me right away, I really liked that.”
Part of what makes Elston such an impactful coach and recruiter is his desire to connect with his players on and off the field. LeBlanc seems to share that same sentiment, after only knowing Elston for a few months.
“Coach Elston and I didn’t talk about just football either,” stated the talented edge player. “He would ask about my family, school, and stuff like that. He is really separating himself by doing that.”
Standing at 6-5 and 240 pounds entering his sophomore year of high school this fall, LeBlanc is already a force to be reckoned with, and he is not done growing.
“During quarantine, I have really focused on lifting weights and adding muscle,” LeBlanc explained. “I have added over 90 pounds to both my bench and my squat numbers so far. I’m trying to do everything I can do better myself and separate myself.”
The impressive defensive end played limited varsity snaps as a freshman in 2019, but he’ll be expected to become an impact performer for the Kowboys defense.
Colleges are already making a push for the talented young end based on his tools and projection, which is why he has such an impressive offer sheet despite limited varsity playing time. The budding star holds offers from Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Oregon, Penn State, USC, and many more. All of the big-time programs see the potential in LeBlanc and he is loving the attention.
“Right now, I am just enjoying the process and looking at every school and what they have to offer,” said LeBlanc of his recruiting process thus far. “I do a lot of research, I try to figure out what schools fit me the best.”
It seems crazy to imagine that LeBlanc, who has just completed his freshman year of high school, is already thinking about a commitment date but the Osceola stud is beginning to make plans for his future, now.
“My goal is to be committed before my senior season, so I can focus on bringing home a state championship my senior year with no distractions,” explained the Osceola talent.
LeBlanc mentioned multiple times in our conversations how important it is to him to win a state championship, which only further shows how much he values winning. He actually mentioned that as one of his biggest factors as far as his recruitment is concerned.
“When I am looking at a school, I look if they have a winning culture, the graduation rate, the amount of guys they put into the league, the scheme they run, and my relationship with the coaches. The little things really matter to me,” said LeBlanc.
Notre Dame seems to fit that mold for the Florida product, who prioritizes his education and wants to get a degree that matters, along with playing top-notch football. There is still a long way to go in LeBlanc’s recruitment, but Notre Dame appears to be in the top group at the moment.
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