Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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guys once a week, and we have little devotions," he said. "We catch up on the week. It's nothing really crazy. We're reading Psalms, so we'll just discuss what we read during the week." Rochell said he might minor in theology while at Notre Dame and the spiritual side of campus life appealed to him. The main reason he picked the Irish, though, was the same that most recruits cite. He got that DE Isaac Rochell "you'll know it when you feel it" feeling during his trips to South Bend in April and June. The Georgia connection with Tuitt didn't hurt, but Rochell said he didn't need another southerner to pave the way for him before heading north. "I did talk to him, but it's cold and it's far away," Rochell said. "There's not really anything else that you need to discuss." That attitude is a good sign for Notre Dame's coaching staff, which needs to continue to cross the Mason-Dixon line to fill its coffers at the defensive line position. In the mind of at least one recruit, the team's recent success and overall direction are starting to knock down the traditional recruiting hurdles that keep coldweather schools from competing down south. ✦ 6-5 ✦ 260 pounds ✦ Eagle's Landing Christian Academy ✦ McDonough, Ga. Notable: Born on April 22, 1995 … Runs a 4.73 40-yard dash, bench presses 345 pounds, squats 480 pounds and power cleans 350 pounds … Played basketball for two years and made it to his high school's regional meet throwing the discus for the track team … Plans to major in finance with a possible minor in theology … Helped lead his team to the Georgia Class A state championship as a senior … His older brother, Matt, plays offensive line at the Air Force Academy. Rankings: Rated as a four-star recruit, the No. 11 player in Georgia, the No. 11 strongside defensive end in the land and the No. 127 prospect in the nation by 247Sports … Listed as a four-star recruit, the No. 10 player in Georgia, the No. 10 strongside defensive end nationally and the No. 124 prospect in the country by Rivals. com … A four-star prospect and the No. 17 defensive end in the country according to Scout.com … Ranked as a four-star recruit, the 13th-best defensive end nationally, the 14th-best player in Georgia and the 139th-best player in the Southeast by ESPNU … Listed as the No. 14 defensive end nationally and the No. 21 player in Georgia by Tom Lemming and MaxPreps.com. Statistics: Recorded 48 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks despite missing four games of his senior season with a broken hand … Notched 97 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his junior season … Also made 42 pancake blocks and graded out at 92 percent on the offensive line as a junior. Honors: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class A All-State … Picked for the All-South Metro first team as a defensive lineman … Slated to win his school's Kingdom Athlete award for athletic performance and leadership. All-Star Games And Camps: Played in the Offense-Defense Bowl in Houston Dec. 30 … Invited to Nike's The Opening, but was unable to attend to a scheduling conflict. Brian Kelly's Comments: "I got a chance to spend some time in the high school, and you could just sense the discipline and the faith, and the way the football program is run. It's a great fit, Isaac coming here to Notre Dame. I think Isaac is a guy that didn't play in lot of the postseason games and didn't get a ton of exposure.