Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Ohio Native Will Mahone Was A Near-Miss For The Irish W FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY JASON SAPP of finalists down to Michigan State, Penn State and Pitt. It actu- ally took the advice from another Irish target, athlete Armani Reeves, who is now signed with Ohio State after originally com- mitting to Penn State, to get the touted back to visit South Bend. As they say, the rest is history. "If I didn't go down to Penn State the same time Armani was ill Mahone was already looking in another direction. The Austintown (Ohio) Fitch running back had pared his group there I probably wouldn't have even made the summer trip to Notre Dame," the 6-0, 210-pound player said of his early interest in the Irish. "He was in the same position that I was — trying to find a home. He said I should listen to him, so I went ahead and got to campus. After that, I fell in love with it right away." A big part of the draw to Notre Dame was how much Ma- hone's mother, Celia, enjoyed the visit as well. They returned to campus for the Michigan State game Sept. 17 for his official visit, and he later made a commitment to the staff Sept. 30, never budging on his decision. "It felt good having my mother's full support," he said. "No- Despite sitting out five games due to a high ankle sprain, Mahone managed to compile 600 rushing yards, 200 receiving yards and six total touchdowns as a senior. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS body wants to have that feeling that your parent doesn't want you at the school you picked. You want them to be happy for you, and it's great having her fully on board. "Notre Dame is where she wants me to be, and it was defi- nitely where I want to be." ✦ RB WILL MAHONE in Ohio, the No. 18 running back in the nation and the country's No. 197 overall prospect … Tabbed as a four-star player, the nation's No. 15 running back, the No. 17 prospect in Ohio and the No. 36 recruit in the Midwest region by ESPNU … Rated by Scout.com as a four-star prospect, the No. 23 running back nationally and the No. 201 recruit in the land … Listed as a three-star recruit, the country's No. 28 running back and the No. 32 player in Ohio by 247Sports … Ranked as the No. 50 player in the Midwest by Su- perPrep … Identified as the nation's No. 10 big back by MaxPreps.com and Tom Lemming. Statistics: As a senior captain, had 600 yards rushing, 200 yards receiving and six total touchdowns in seven games of action … Missed five games with a high ankle sprain … Defensively, notched 30 tackles, a sack, two forced fum- bles and an interception … Rushed the ball 81 times for 700 yards and nine touchdowns while reeling in 11 catches for 152 yards as a junior … Added two receiving touchdowns and returned two kickoffs for scores … Made five interceptions, returning two of them for scores. Honors: Named second-team All-Ohio by the Associated Press as a line- backer … All-Northeast Ohio first-team selection. All-Star Games And Camps: Set to play in Ohio North-South Classic April 20 at Ohio Stadium … Chosen to participate in the Big 33 Football Classic, which features the top players in Ohio and Pennsylvania, but the game is June 16 at Hersheypark Stadium and he'll be reporting to Notre Dame prior to that date … Camped at Cincinnati, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and West Virginia, competed in the Under Armour Combine in Florida and was a par- ticipant in the inaugural "The Opening," a Nike event in Oregon featuring the www.BLUEANDGOLD.com 6-0 · 210 · Fitch H.S. · Austintown, Ohio Notable: Born on Sept. 2, 1993 … Runs a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, has a 35-inch vertical jump and runs a 4.58-second pro shuttle … Senior captain of basketball team with a .500 record, averaging 22 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals per game … Is noted as a standout three-point shooter … Traveled to different local elementary schools as part of a leader- ship program to teach good sportsmanship and the importance of academics in athletics. Rankings: Ranked by Rivals.com as a four-star recruit, the No. 13 player nation's top 500 recruits, the summer before his senior campaign. Brian Kelly's Comments: "What we really liked about Will early on is he understood Notre Dame. He recognized the ultimate goal for him. That was to get a degree, to win a national championship and to continue on in his football career." Fitch Head Coach Phil Annarella's Comments: "Will is a great leader and a tremendous competitor. He always encourages the other kids and leads by example. He hates to lose and is a quality young man that did it all the right way. … Versatility is what excited Coach Kelly the most about him. He can do a lot to help a team win." Tom Lemming Of Prep Football Report: "He's a winner that works hard, runs hard and shows good hitting instincts. He has good range and plays physical. I liked him a lot when I saw him play because he goes all out. He's a very good between-the-tackles type of back." Favorite Part Of Notre Dame Visit: "It would have to be when I sat down with Coach [Chuck] Martin, and he showed me a presentation of all the things that Notre Dame has to offer. He was really enthusiastic when he broke everything down, and in that 15 minutes I became a believer. It really opened my eyes, and he had a big impact on my visit." Why He Chose Notre Dame: "It was a feeling I had when I was on [campus]. There's nothing negative you could say about Notre Dame. I just felt comfort- able with everything, and the education is second to none." Person He Admires Most And Why: "My mother because growing up it was always just me and her. I have to give her all the props in the world for how much she provided for me as a single-parent mom." Scouting Report: Strong combo back out of the backfield that is used in a spread offense and can add both the burst and power needed for the scheme … Good vision and is capable of finding a narrow crease to pound for yards … Plays aggressively and keeps feet pumping on contact in an effort to get the most out of the run. 2012 Projection: Shows similarities to graduated senior Jonas Gray on film with less speed, but more of a punch … There are enough bodies in the stable, so he will likely use the first year as an opportunity to tailor his game to fill that role. MARCH 2012 37