Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2018 51 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE "I don't look it at as pressure. I re- ally like bringing people together and helping lead them to a win. That's the most fun thing about sports." With the early spotlight, attention and playing time, Jurkovec learned quickly that he was the one who had to set an example through his own preparation. "I realized kind of early because the coaches told me that the guys looked to me," he stated. "If I was slacking off, someone who is maybe not starting will look to you and they might slack off, too. You have to set an example for everyone the team. People will follow. "To me, it's the little things that sep- arate people in sports. It's all about the preparation. That's where you re- ally get your confidence. I'm huge on preparation. Anything that I can do to be ready for the game, I'll be doing it." Jurkovec is not the most talkative person off the field, but that changes once the whistle blows. "It's also important to be a vocal leader at times, and that's who I be- lieve I am," he said. "You have to instill that confidence in the guys around you, but your play has to back up your talk." The Pennsylvanian's quest to be- come the starter at Notre Dame will begin this summer with the majority of the 2018 class. His competitive fire will surely follow him to the next level. "I'm going to push people to be their best and I'm not settling for losing no matter who is starting," Jurkovec said. "I want to help each other competing and taking care of business." ✦ PHIL JURKOVEC QUARTERBACK 6-5 · 204 PINE-RICHLAND H.S. PITTSBURGH RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 87 5 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 126 9 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 115 4 3 STATISTICS • Completed 243 of 334 passes (72.8 percent) for 3,969 yards with 39 touchdowns and six inter- ceptions as a senior. Also rushed for 1,211 yards and 24 touchdowns on 132 carries (9.2 yards per attempt), while leading Pine-Richland to a 16-0 re- cord, its first-ever 6A state championship, a No. 10 ranking in the final MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and a No. 11 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25. • As a junior, threw for 1,673 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions while complet- ing 62.3 percent (104 of 167) of his passes in just six games before suffering a thumb injury. Added 481 yards and eight touchdowns on 82 rushing attempts (5.9 yards per carry). • Completed 176 of 264 passes (66.7 percent) for 2,560 yards with 20 touchdowns and four in- terceptions as a sophomore. Also carried the ball 130 times for 1,250 yards (9.6 yards per attempt) and 11 touchdowns. HONORS • Earned first-team All-America accolades from the U.S. Army, CBS Sports and MaxPreps following his stellar senior campaign. Also was an All-USA second-team selection by USA Today. • Tabbed as a finalist for U.S. Army Player of the Year. • Named the Gatorade Player of the Year, the Class 6A Player of the Year, the and USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year in Pennsylvania. Also received Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year honors. • Won the title of Big School Mr. PA Football, an honor voted on by coaches, media and fans. • Was an All-USA Pennsylvania first-team pick by USA Today in 2017, and was a three-time all-state selection by Pennsylvania Football Writers. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 6, 2018. Saw action on five snaps and was 0-of-1 passing with an intercep- tion. Was one of four finalists on the East roster for the 2017 Felix "Doc" Blanchard Award, which recognizes a player "who exhibit prowess in the classroom and the field." • Participated in Nike Football's The Opening Cleveland Regional on April 9, 2017. Posted a 4.86 40-yard dash, a 4.50 pro-shuttle time, a 37-foot power ball toss and a 35.7-inch vertical. • Took part in the Rivals Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta on June 10-11, 2016. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on May 16, 2016, over offers from Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, Penn State, Michigan State, UCLA, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin, among others. • Was originally recruited by former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike San- ford before he left for Western Kentucky. Current offensive coordinator Chip Long took over and continued to seal the deal. • Traveled to South Bend several times follow- ing his commitment, including multiple games in 2016 and 2017. Took his official visit for the USC game on Oct. 21, 2017, and never wavered from his pledge. NOTABLE • Born on Nov. 3, 1999. • Is the first Pennsylvania quarterback to sign with Notre Dame since Zach Frazer in 2006. • Set a single-season state record with 5,180 yards of total offense in 2017. • Became the second quarterback in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League his- tory to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. His 3,969 passing yards ranked third in WPIAL history. • Finished his career third all time in Pennsyl- vania history with 11,144 yards of total offense despite missing half of his junior season with a wrist injury. • His older brother Tom is a redshirt freshman linebacker at Duquesne. • Helped lead Pine-Richland to a Class 6A state championship game appearance in basketball as a junior. • Works as a Pine-Richland Peer Buddy helping mentally and physically challenged peers. • Wants to major in finance at Notre Dame. 2018 PROJECTION • Redshirting would be ideal, but Jurkovec's elite talent and Notre Dame's quarterback issues could result in him seeing the field next fall. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "He had the finger in- jury last year, so he struggled a little bit with the ball coming out of his hands, made adjustments in the offseason, the ball comes out quickly, with accuracy, great arm strength. "This year they spread the field with massive splits and the ball was going all the way out to the numbers with great access and speed. So what we saw in this past year was just a really quick release. "Then we saw the ability to run the offense at the line of scrimmage, get into the right plays, run the football, just a complete control of what was going on out there, really a clinic at times." Quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees: "He's got all the qualities off the field you look for. He's a competitive kid, a humble kid, he's somebody that works hard and cares so much about the right things and doing things the right thing. "… He's a heck of an athlete. As impressive of an athlete as you will find across the country from a height, weight standpoint, ability to make plays with his legs, ability to make all the throws on the field. You don't see that very often." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Jurkovec graded out better than any quarterback signed by Notre Dame since Jimmy Clausen in the 2007 class, but no quarterback has his combination of elite potential as a passer and dynamic skills as a run- ner. The Pine-Richland star made significant strides as a passer during his senior season, tightening up his delivery, improving his footwork, showing greater accuracy and putting his great feel for the game on full display. "Twice Jurkovec rushed for more than 1,200 rushing yards for the Rams. The ability to domi- nate teams with his arm and legs makes him a great fit in the Notre Dame offense. "Jurkovec's elite physical tools are obviously spe- cial, but what truly makes him such a rare player is his competitiveness and ability to make everyone around him better. He is a winner, he's a warrior on the field and the court, and his personality is infectious."