Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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78 PRESEASON 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID MCKINNEY It's a feeling that Dan Lamb strug- gles to describe. The father of Notre Dame linebacker commit Jack Lamb from Temecula (Calif.) Great Oak High said watching his son commit to the Fighting Irish on July 27 was something he won't soon forget. "It's a little tough to put into words," the elder Lamb told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "This whole process has really been a dream. To have the choices that he has, we were blessed is all I can really say. "To have a school like Notre Dame in the mix was something he had talked about for a long time." Lamb, who is rated as the No. 2 inside linebacker and No. 65 overall player in the class of 2018 by Rivals, cut his list down to Notre Dame, UCLA, Oregon and Washington be- fore making his decision, and his fa- ther said after taking a final look at his options the Irish were the easy choice. "We focused a lot on, 'How do you use this football opportunity to get the best all-around experience possi- ble, and how do you challenge your- self to make your own legacy?" Dan Lamb said. "As he thought about it, all signs pointed to Notre Dame." For Lamb, who posted 117 tackles in 11 games as a junior, the decision came down to one question. "He kept asking himself, 'If I go to UCLA, what school would I re- gret not going to?" Dan Lamb said. "Notre Dame was the answer to that in every one of those scenarios. "Then he asked himself, 'If I com- mit to Notre Dame, what school would I regret not going to?' And he didn't have an answer. Notre Dame checked all his boxes." The Irish not only checked all the boxes for Jack Lamb, but for his fa- ther as well. "First and foremost it's the his- tory, tradition and the quality of the school," the elder Lamb said. "It hit everything for him that some other schools frankly didn't offer. "We said, 'If football ended tomor- row, would you still feel like your choice was the best one?' From our perspective, him picking a school like Notre Dame felt right." Lamb joined his son on the visit to Notre Dame, and they were both blown away. "The whole environment while we were there was magical for us," he explained. "Around every cor- ner there was a religious reminder, but there was also a football tie in. He just thought that was the coolest thing ever." Lamb said having his son get the opportunity to play football in South Bend and get a Notre Dame educa- tion was something he never could have imagined. "He finally told us, and it was just very emotional," he said. "It's like a movie really. I can't believe my son is going to go play football at Notre Dame. It's unbelievable." For Notre Dame, the linebacker class it has committed is also trend- ing toward the unbelievable. Prior to Lamb's decision, the Irish had com- mitments from four-star Shayne Si- mon, four-star Matthew "Bo" Bauer and three-star Ovie Oghoufo. Adding Lamb to that class was big for the staff, not only on the field, but off of it as well. "He'll fit right in," said Armond Hawkins, Lamb's seven-on-seven coach. "Jack adapts to anybody and anywhere. All the kids look up to him, and the coaches look up to him as well. That's how much of a re- spectful kid he is." Of course, Hawkins believes Lamb will excel as much inside Notre Dame Stadium as he will outside of it. "He's probably going to be one of the most dynamic athletes on the Notre Dame team," Hawkins said. "He can put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer, and can also cover any running back out of the back- field." Hawkins is the father of former four-star Rancho Cucamonga (Ca- lif.) High cornerback Chris Hawkins, who signed with USC in the class of 2013. At Nike Football's The Opening Fi- nals in the summer of 2012, Hawkins competed along with a five-star linebacker from Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers. That linebacker was Jaylon Smith, who went on to be- come a standout in South Bend over the next few years. The elder Hawkins watched Smith compete that weekend in 2012, and said he hadn't ever seen anything like Smith … until now. "I compare Jack — and this a real comparison — to Jaylon Smith," Hawkins said. "No doubt." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Jack Lamb has just about everything you could want in a linebacker … Possesses an elite frame that is quite similar to that of current starting Buck linebacker Greer Martini … Is an aggressive player that is more than willing to mix it up despite being a bit thin at this point … Shows an impressive initial burst and good change of direction ability … Instinctive de- fender who makes quick reads and locates the ball well … Has a knack for getting free as a pass rusher. Areas For Improvement Needs to get a lot stronger and continue fill- ing out his frame … Not an overly powerful player at this point and must gain the strength necessary to hold up at the point of attack … Plays too high at times, which saps him of some power … Narrow base also gives him some is- sues in man coverage, but it can be improved. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE JACK LAMB California Linebacker Finds The Perfect Fit In South Bend Lamb is ranked as the nation's No. 65 overall prospect and the No. 2 inside linebacker in the 2018 class. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM "IT'S LIKE A MOVIE REALLY. I CAN'T BELIEVE MY SON IS GOING TO GO PLAY FOOTBALL AT NOTRE DAME. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE." DAN LAMB ON HIS SON'S COMMITMENT TO THE IRISH