Watt a Way to Begin the Week

Notre Dame, IN (UHND.com) – Last weekend pretty terribly for Notre Dame fans with the disappointing news that Darrin Walls would not be with the team in 2008, but this week began with some great news when it was reported Sunday that five star offensive lineman Chris Watt committed to the Irish.

Charlie Weis was vacationing in New Jersey on Sunday, but was not too busy to accept a verbal commitment from one of the nation’s elite offensive linemen. Watt, considered the second best guard in the country by both Scout and Rivals, decided it was time to end his recruitment on Sunday by picking Notre Dame over Ohio State.

Over the last few months, Watt has made multiple trips to both schools and his recruitment was very much a see-saw battle between Notre Dame and Ohio State. There has been moments when both schools were in the lead for his services, but in the end, he decided that Notre Dame was the place for him. There had been some chatter that Ohio State was fill at offensive line, but the Buckeyes still very much wanted Watt.

Watt plays in all three phases of the game for his Glenbard West HS team, but there is no question where his home is on the college level – offensive line. He is a very athletic prospect at guard. He has very good technique for a high school offensive lineman and has the ability to get to the second and third level of defenders on his run blocking.

Watt’s commitment gives Notre Dame arguably one of the best guard combinations in the country with the five star Watt and four star Alex Bullard. It also likely ends Notre Dame’s recruiting of interior offensive linemen this year.

With Bullard and now Watt in the fold, Weis and his staff’s attention along the offensive line will shift to the tackle position where Notre Dame does not yet have a commitment. The biggest name left for the Irish at tackle is Xavier Nixon – the nation’s top ranked prospect at the position. Notre Dame, however, still has a lot of work to do with Nixon and right now his recruiting is not close to being over. Other names on Notre Dame’s radar right now are Zach Martin who just visited Notre Dame this past weekend and Patrick Ward who picked up a Notre Dame offer last week.

This was a huge pickup for the Irish for a couple of reasons. First off, you can never have too many five star commitments. Secondly, it was the first big win for Notre Dame head to head with Ohio State this year. The Buckeyes have been putting together the best class in the country so far this year so it is nice to notch a win over them.

Notre Dame now has 12 commitments so far this year with Watt being the second five star commitment along with running back Cierre Wood. Watt is now the second five star commitment along the offensive line for Notre Dame since Charlie Weis has arrived. In 2006, Sam Young was the first such commitment for Weis with no other five star offensive linemen committing to the Irish since then.