Elite OL Rocco Spindler Includes Notre Dame in Top 5
Notre Dame needed some good news on the recruiting front on Friday following news that SDE David Abiara is considering flipping his commitment to Oklahoma. That news came in the form of elite OL Rocco Spindler releasing a top 5 that includes Notre Dame.
The FINAL FIVE… pic.twitter.com/iJqv3GEDmE
— Rocco Spindler (@RoccoSpindler92) May 22, 2020
The battle for Spindler is down to Notre Dame, the Big Ten elite (Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State), and LSU. None of the schools listed should be a surprise including Notre Dame. The Irish have long been considered one of the favorites for Spindler.
For Notre Dame’s class of 2021 recruiting efforts, Spindler is an absolute must get at this point. Notre Dame lost Caleb Johnson to Auburn last week and back in April they lost Tandon Tengwall to Penn State who have been a major thorn in Notre Dame’s side this recruiting cycle on the offensive line.
Spindler, the #44 overall prospect in the country, is a recruit that the Irish have to have if they want to have any chance at even a top-10 recruiting class at this point.
Notre Dame needs to add at least two more offensive linemen in this recruiting cycle on top of tackle Blake Fisher – a top 100 overall prospect – and guard Pat Coogan. Spindler would pair well with Coogan, who isn’t as polished as a prospect, on the interior of the offensive line in this class.
Another offensive lineman, Tristan Bounds, very unofficially visited Notre Dame and Michigan earlier this week to get a feel for the campuses. Bounds, like Coogan, is more of a developmental prospect who Notre Dame could team with someone like Fisher in this class potentially. Notre Dame can afford that luxury at tackle because they already have Fisher locked in. They need to do the same with Spindler at guard.
The Irish still have a lot of work to do on the offensive line in this class, but making Spindler’s top 5 is at least some progress. Until official campus visits are allowed again though, Notre Dame, like every other university, is still in scramble mode.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
We would love to get Spindler, but calling him a “must get” is a bit overstated. Notre Dame’s offensive line will be better with him, but will do fine without him. If that weren’t true, the program would be in trouble.