Blue and Gold Illustrated

March 2018

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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78 MARCH 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED PREP PROFILES Notre Dame is renowned for its illustrious history at the tight end po- sition, and Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco tight end Jude Wolfe is also well aware of it. Wolfe, a three-star prospect, picked up an offer from the Irish in October and has had his eye on the program ever since. "At this point, there are some schools out of my recruitment, and Notre Dame is not one of them," Wolfe said. "I've always thought very highly of the tradition and the school, so they're definitely high on my list right now." Wolfe cited the talent Notre Dame annually brings in at tight end, and the development of the position, has the Irish high on his priority list. "A school that has been pumping tight ends into the NFL is big," he said. "Tight ends have been becom- ing more apparent in offenses." The California talent said when he was growing up, watching Notre Dame football was a regular Satur- day event in his house. "There's a huge amount of tradi- tion going on there," Wolfe said. "My great grandma was a huge Notre Dame fan, so Notre Dame was al- ways a household favorite." Since the offer, Wolfe has been communicating mostly with special teams coordinator and recruiting co- ordinator Brian Polian, and the two seem to have clicked so far. "I think really highly of him," Wolfe said. "He's really genuine. I like it a lot when coaches don't ask so much about football, but more so how you're doing. "That's always fresh and new." Currently, Wolfe does not have a visit to Notre Dame set up, though one could be impending. There's plenty of time left before Wolfe has to put his signature on a National Letter of Intent, and he noted there are several crucial factors he'll be looking for in the meantime. "Primarily academics and getting a good degree," Wolfe said. "I am Catholic, so going to Notre Dame would carry something that other schools don't have." Wolfe holds additional offers from Cal, Michigan, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCLA, Utah, Washington and several others. — David McKinney On Jan. 12, Knoxville (Tenn.) Cath- olic 2020 offensive tackle Bryn Tucker added Notre Dame to an early offer list that already included SEC mem- bers Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Missis- sippi State and Tennessee. "My head coach told me during school to text the offensive coordina- tor, coach Chip Long," Tucker told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "He wanted me to call him and then told me the big blessing of receiving the offer. "I thank God for putting the offer in my hands." It appears Notre Dame has a chance to be a top contender for Tucker throughout his process. "I was shocked. It's a huge offer," Tucker stated. "Notre Dame has such great tradition back from the '70s and '80s. I love Notre Dame. I'm a fan of Notre Dame, and I'm definitely go- ing to get up there for a visit. "Right now, my interest is high. I could definitely see them being in my top five. But right now I'm enjoy- ing the process and what I can do with my family." Of course, Tucker is intrigued by Notre Dame's success in recent years of producing quality offensive lines and NFL Draft picks. "Their offensive line this year was tremendous," Tucker explained. "I hate to see that Coach [Harry] Hies- tand left to go to the Chicago Bears, but they are going to bring someone in. That offensive line is very good down there. I love their offensive line and how they produce. "It's crazy. Their offensive line this year may be the best offensive line they ever had. Every offensive line they have is amazing and they put guys into the NFL." Long also made quite the impres- sion on Tucker during their conver- sation. "He was energetic," Tucker said of Long. "He really wants me to come to Notre Dame. He said they need to get me up for a spring practice and a game. When we were talking, I felt we were building a good relationship on the phone. "He watched me my film and told me some things I needed to work on, but said they needed to get me up there and he could see me in that green and gold. I'm at a Catholic school right now, so he said I can come to another Catholic school. I love Coach Long." — Corey Bodden California Tight End Is High On Notre Dame 2020 Offensive Tackle Caught Off Guard By Irish Offer "A school that has been pumping tight ends into the NFL is big." WOLFE ON NOTRE DAME JUDE WOLFE ✪ ✪ ✪ St. John Bosco H.S. Bellflower, Calif. Status: Offered Class: 2019 Position: Tight End Ht.: 6-6 • Wt.: 247 Rivals Rankings: No. 34 player in California and No. 10 tight end nationally BRYN TUCKER Catholic H.S. Knoxville, Tenn. Status: Offered Class: 2020 Position: Offensive Tackle Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 286 Rivals Rankings: The class of 2020 has not been rated yet "I love Notre Dame. I'm a fan of Notre Dame, and I'm definitely going to get up there for a visit." TUCKER

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