| WR Chinedum Ndukwe: 6'3", 207 pounds, 4.56, Dublin, Ohio |
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Chinedum Ndukwe (pronounced CHIN-a-doom, nu-DUK-wee) snared 59 passes for 850 yards and 11 scores as
a junior. He chose Notre Dame over
Maryland, Penn State and Purdue. Chinedum attended Notre Dame’s summer football camp and received
an official offer shortly after. He has an older brother who just graduated from Notre Dame, as well
as a sister who is about to enroll at St. Mary’s and is currently a teammate of Irish recruit QB Brady
Quinn. Ndukwe has reported that he carries a 3.3 GPA and
scored a 1,070 SAT.
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| LB Nick Borseti: 6' 4", 218 pounds, 4.75, Danvers, Mass. |
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Borseti averaged 10 tackles per game as a junior finishing with 125, 20 tackles for a loss and had
11 sacks in leading his team to an 11-1 record. Borseti is a throw-back player who knows where to be
on the field at all times. "I'm old school, Dick Butkus style," Borseti said. "He's my man. I always
patterned myself after him because I like hitting. I also like Ray Lewis, I study him constantly."
He will play middle linebacker for the Irish. Borseti's second choice was Virginia. He has reported
he has a 3.2 GPA and scored 1,100 on the SAT.
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| LB Joe Brockington: 6' 1", 215 pounds, 4.56, Palmyra, Pa. |
•
The Notre Dame coaches have told Brockington that they want him on defense at outside
linebacker. They want him to cover RBs and jam wideouts off the line. Brockington has
led his team in tackles both his sophomore and junior years. Although he was recruited
to play linebacker, he's also a talented fullback, rushing for 2,164 yards on 393 carries
the past two seasons. About going to Notre Dame Brockington said "It's exciting to be
going to play at Notre Dame, not everyone gets a chance to play there. I don't see how
people that get offered by Notre Dame can pass it up." He received offers from: Michigan
State, Pittsburgh, Maryland, West Virginia, Purdue, Indiana and Georgia Tech. Brockington
reports that he has a 3.34 GPA and scored 930 on the SAT. |
| WR Jeff Samardzija: 6' 4", 190 pounds, 4.40, Valparaiso, Ind. |
•
As a junior Jeff had 51 catches for 1,197 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is often compared to current Denver
Bronco Ed McCaffrey, the typical possession receiver in a West Coast offense. His size and strength will
cause match-up problems for many teams. "I verbally committed to Notre Dame." Jeff Samardzija said. "Too
me, Notre Dame just seemed a step up from everything else I saw out there." Purdue and Northwestern were
Jeff’s second and third choices respectfully. He has a reported he carries a 3.5 GPA and scored a 1,190 SAT.
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| QB Brady Quinn: 6' 4", 215 pounds, 4.65, Dublin, Ohio |
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As a junior, Quinn threw for 2200 yards and 21 TDs.
Notre Dame won a spirited recruiting battle with Michigan and Ohio State for Quinn’s services. Although
very athletic, Quinn is a pro-style quarterback that will fit in nicely with the West Coast offense Notre
Dame now employs. Quinn has a reported he carries a 3.3 GPA and scored a 1,030 SAT.
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| CB Freddie Parish: 6' 1", 200 pounds, 4.48, Long Beach, CA |
•
It's hard to find Freddie's stats since he backed up All-America safety Darnell Bing last season.
Freddie made the most of his opportunities when he did play and racked up 21 tackles, broke up four
passes and had one pick. He has a tremendous work ethic and is one of the most sought after safeties
on the west coast. He started as a freshman in the secondary at Redondo Union H. S. before transferring
to South Torrance prior to his sophomore season. At South Torrance, Parish earned 1st team All-CIF honors
at cornerback and also saw action at wide receiver. He's had offers
from UCLA, Washington and Stanford among others, while other big-time programs such as Michigan were
trying very hard to get an official visit and get in the mix. Parish brings both versatility and
attitude to the Irish program, and is a strong bet to be captain before his career is done. He has
the talent to play either cornerback or free safety, but Notre Dame recruited him to play cornerback.
Parish has reported he carries a 3.2 GPA and scored a 930 SAT.
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| RB/DB Isaiah Gardner: 5' 11", 185 pounds, 4.40, Virginia Beach, Va |
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As a junior, Gardner rushed for 1,118 yards and 25 touchdowns while also catching 25
passes for 313 yards. Gardner probably will play defense for the Irish. Head coach Chris
Beatty says that "Isaiah has excellent explosion and acceleration. He has great hands and
he could play running back, wide receiver or cornerback." He also received offers from Georgia
Tech, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and Virginia Tech.
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| FB Ashley McConnell: 6' 0", 230 pounds, 4.60, Virginia Beach, Va |
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McConnell is in the mold of a “big back” rather than just a fullback. He will be asked to block, catch as
much as he will be asked to run with the ball. "A lot of times you get letters, and just throw them in a
pile," he said. "The gold helmet on the envelope caught my eye. And the more I got to know the coaches and
the school, the more it just seemed right."
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| DT Trevor Laws: 6' 3", 285 pounds, 4.90, Apple Valley, MN |
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Trevor had 85 tackles, 10 sacks and 25 tackles for a loss his Junior season. Through six games this season,
he has 70 tackles and 10 sacks. He is a two-time
wrestling All-American as well and won the state championship in the super-heavyweight division
last year with a 49-0 record. Off the field, Laws carries a 3.94 grade-point average (4.0 scale)
and scored a 27 on his ACT. Laws selected the Irish over Michigan and Iowa. Trevor is considered
by some to be the top player from the state of Minnesota this year.
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| TE John Carlson: 6' 6", 235 pounds, 4.65, Litchfield, MN |
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John caught 41 passes for over 500 yards and scored 7 TDs this past season, leading Litchfield High
to a 6-3 record and share of the conference title. He's a four-year varsity starter on both sides
of the ball. Named all-area three years in a row and led the basketball team to two state
championships in three years, including an undefeated squad in 2000.
"I made a list of all the positives and the negatives of my final four schools, and Notre Dame
had a heck of a lot of positives," Carlson said. "It finally came down to the place where I felt
the most comfortable. Notre Dame was the place I wanted to be."
In the classroom, John carries a 3.98 GPA and scored 28 on the ACT.
|
| OL/DE Ryan Harris: 6' 5", 260 pounds, 4.70, St. Paul, MN |
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"A lot of things went into this decision," Harris said. "It just seemed like I was destined to go to
Notre Dame. It's just the right fit for me." A three-year starter, Ryan was named all-state after his
junior season. He's a two-way starter who is projected as an offensive lineman at the next level.
Ryan will be given high school All-America consideration in 2002. He picked Notre Dame over Stanford,
USC, Michigan and Miami (Fla.). Harris attends the same high school as current Notre Dame players
Marcus Freeman and Rashon Powers-Neal.
|
| RB/LB Travis Thomas: 6' 1", 200 pounds, 4.38, Washington, PA |
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One of the top two-way players in the country, Travis finishes his career with 2,671 rushing yards
and 56 touchdowns. He ran for 1,176 yards and 16 touchdowns this past season and had 1,054 yards and
20 touchdowns as a junior. He also had 90 solo tackles and 50 assists as a strong safety this year.
"Even if I wasn't playing football, Notre Dame is a school I would attend," he continued. "Football
is short-lived. A Notre Dame degree gives me a great opportunity after college." In the classroom
Travis carries a 3.5 GPA and scored 1,010 on the SAT.
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| TE Greg Olsen: 6' 6", 242 pounds, 4.71, Wayne, NJ |
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Greg is one of the nation's premier tight end prospects, ranked as the #1 TE propect by ESPN. He is
also the younger brother of Notre Dame quarterback Chris Olsen. He had 91 tackles and 12 sacks as a
DE last season and had 25 receptions for 560 yards and 10 touchdowns at TE. During his junior season,
Greg had 89 tackles, including 12 sacks and 33 tackles losses. From his tight end position he had 21
catches for 490 yards to go along with 10 touchdowns. Greg had an incredible amount of scholarship
offers and chose ND over such schools as Tennessee, Miami, Florida State, Syracuse, USC, Michigan,
Stanford, Nebraska, Florida, and LSU.
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| QB/DB Tommy Zbikowski: 6' 1", 190 pounds 4.35, Buffalo Grove, IL |
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Tommy played both quarterback and safety for Buffalo Grove and was considered one of the top overall
athletes in the country. In 11 games, Zbikowski passed for 1,334 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed
for another 1,172 yards and 22 touchdowns. He had 41 tackles and two interceptions as a safety. Tommy
also is a track standout and a Silver Gloves boxing champion, with an overall record of 60-13 as an
amateur boxer. He was one of six finalists for the Ken Hall Award, given each year to the nation's
top high school player. He will most likely play safety or cornerback for the Irish. Tommy chose
Notre Dame over Nebraska and Iowa. He grew up watching the movie "Rudy" and idolizing everything blue
and gold.
|
| LB/DE Dwight Stephenson: 6' 3", 227 pounds, 4.40, Boca Raton, FL |
•
Dwight committed to Florida on Sept. 1, but had decided to re-open his recruitment and took an official
visits to Washington and Notre Dame in addition to Florida. He decided to commit to Notre Dame while on
his official visit to South Bend during the Jan. 18 weekend. He has the versatility to play any
linebacker position, as well as defensive end. He will most likely play outside linebacker for the Irish.
He's said to be Very strong and athletic, a good pass rusher and he pursues well. He played both
linebacker and defensive end in high school. He is the son of former Miami Dolphin All-Pro center Dwight
Stephenson. He has an estimated 27 sacks as a junior. Dwight who carries a 3.0 GPA and scored 980 on the
SAT. Dwight has a 2.7 GPA and 980 SAT.
|
| OL John Sullivan: 6' 4", 280 pounds, 4.90, Buffalo Grove, IL |
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John is one of the best centers in the nation, and one of the most highly sought-after lineman on the
east coast. He is very quick for a lineman, and has great strength. On offense he racked up 65 pancake
blocks and as a defensive tackle he made 30 tackles for a loss, with 12 sacks. He has been all-state
for the past two seasons. He could play on either side of the ball, but most project him as a center
or offensive guard.
|
| P/K Geoffrey Price: 6' 3", 180 pounds, 4.60, Colleyville, TX |
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"On kickoffs," said Coach Cunningham, "He is the guy that takes it right into the teeth of the wedge,
you know, he's the wedge-buster... He's the first one down and has the
responsibility of going straight to the football and he just makes some of the most ferocious tackles,
I mean, he's the hardest hitting player on our football team." Playing free safety this season,
Geoffrey has accumulated 84 tackles, five pass break-ups, with one interception. As a junior, the
state's top-ranked punter averaged a whopping 45.6 yards on 19 punts. But this year, Price's average
has dipped to 39.6 yards on eight punts. The drop in average may have been due to an ankle sprain in
the first game, but Geoffrey still managed to get 17 tackles in that game.
|
| DB LaBrose Hedgemon: 5' 10", 185 pounds, 4.43, Hoover, AL |
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Nicknamed "Spiderman", LaBrose help lead Hoover to the state 6A championship game his
junior season with 32 tackles, 19 pass breakups and 8 interceptions. A speedy cornerback who
loves to play bump and run coverage on an island. He has tremendous confidence in his ability due
to the fact he goes head to head in practice with Chad Jackson, ranked the 7th best WR prospect by
ESPN. In his senior year, LaBrose posted 50 tackles, 4 interceptions, 15 pass breakups, and 2
tackles for loss.
|
| WR/DB Chase Anastasio: 6' 2", 195 pounds, 4.50, Fairfax, VA |
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Chase was named to the "Golden 11" squad, which is the top 11 prospects in Virginia, Washington D.C.
and Maryland. He has a good combination of speed and hands and is a solid route runner. He is also
considered one of the more versatile players in the entire region, and was an all-state performer as
a defensive back his junior year. Chase has the speed, and the size to wind up at wide receiver or
safety. He played both positions high school, and he may have been a little better at safety, but
most analysts think he has the most potential at receiver. Chase chose Notre Dame over Penn State,
Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Maryland, as well as a few others.
|
| DE Victor Abiamiri: 6' 5", 240 pounds, 4.60, Baltimore, MD |
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Victor is the best defensive lineman in Maryland, and you can make a case that he may be the best in
the entire nation. He already has great size, and his speed is tremendous for a lineman. As a junior
Victor was first team all-metro, totaling over 100 tackles, 14 sacks and 28 tackles for losses. His
senior season Victor had 12 sacks, 17 tackles for lost yardage, 52 tackles and one interception,
helping him earn all-metro Defensive Player of the Year honor. He comes from one of the top high
school programs on the east coast and has dominated the competition each year he has played.
|
| WR/DB Ambrose Wooden: 6' 1", 185 pounds, 4.35, Baltimore, MD |
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Ambrose is not only one of the best offensive prospects at quarterback in the Atlantic region, but
may project as one of the nation’s best safeties. Wooden rushed for a career-high 1,635 yards and 22
touchdowns and passed for a career-high 1,217 yards and 13 touchdowns to lead the Greyhounds to their
fifth Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title. Those numbers raised his career
totals to 4,033 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns, and 3,228 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. Wooden's
combined 7,261 total yards of offense is a state record. He was named first team all-Metro by the Baltimore
Sun last year for his play on offense and is their Offensive Player of the Year this season. His
speed, size, and toughness has caused many analysts to predict that he’ll end up at safety. He is also
a great leader on the field, knowing not only his role on any given play, but the roles of the players
around him. Entering his senior year, Ambrose is carrying a 4.0 GPA.
|
| LB Mitchell Thomas: 6' 3", 221 pounds, 4.60, Smith Station, Ala. |
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A picture of excellence at linebacker and a player that doubles as a running back Thomas enjoyed a strong
junior campaign, which saw him record 75 tackles and 4 sacks as well as rush for 930 yards and 12
touchdowns on 180 carries. He was hampered by a nagging hamstring his senior year, but still was credited
with 78 tackles at linebacker despite missing some time in every game. He is a text book tackler who
sets his feet and explodes into the ball carrier and he rarely misses a tackle. Mitchell carries a 3.5+
GPA and scored a 19 on the ACT. He chose Notre Dame over Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn, and Ole Miss.
|
| P/K Carl Gioia: 5' 10", 165 pounds, 4.80, Valparaiso, Ind. |
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The top placekicker in Indiana this year, Carl in his career has hit 114-of-118 extra points and
17-of-23 field goals, with a long of 46. Coach Mark Hoffman is so confident in his leg strength that
he says he wouldn’t hesitate to let him try a kick of 50 yards or longer. As a Punter Carl kicked
34 punts his senior season and averaged 37.5 yards, with a long of 69. He was named to the 2002-3
Class 5A All-State Team as the first team kicker. Carl is also a teammate of Irish recruit Jeff
Samardzija. "I'm definitely excited. You're talking about Notre Dame football," Gioia said. He
turned down similar offers from Purdue, Indiana and Virginia.
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