Notre Dame has another commitment for its 2021 class.
Fridley (Minn.) Totino Grace offensive tackle Joe Alt has announced his pledge this afternoon, giving the Fighting Irish their 12th commitment in the current cycle.
Alt committed to Notre Dame over Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Northwestern and Rutgers.
“With Notre Dame, there’s strong academics and strong athletics,” Alt told BlueandGold.com on Sunday. “The faith piece is important to me. It checks the boxes.”
The Notre Dame coaching staff, led by offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, has made Alt a big priority since offering him May 22.
“I think it’s been finding what’s best for me,” Alt said of the Irish staff’s pitch to him. “They know what they have and present it well. It’s been showing it to me and making sure I get a good feel for what I want and them trying to give me that good feel.”
His recruitment really came down to Iowa, Minnesota and Notre Dame. He’s been to those two schools several times and has never stepped foot in South Bend.
“It’s obviously a little tough, but you can get a good feeling from the videos of campus online,” Alt said. “You can get a feel of the overall atmosphere of what it’s like on game day and campus. It’s still been pretty good from what I’ve been able to see.”
The Notre Dame staff did a great job overcoming that obstacle and winning Alt’s recruitment.
“Obviously, I’m familiar with the academics and overall great football reputation,” Alt said. “My aunt and uncle actually went there. Academics is very important to me.
“Their combination of a well-known football team with a long legacy of winning and a great tradition, plus a really good school that will push me to get a great degree — that combo is very intriguing to me.”
Rivals actually lists Alt as a tight end, as that was the position he was originally recruited at. There are still schools looking at him as a pass catcher — but many, including Notre Dame, believe his upside is best at tackle.
“I just hit my growth spurt and starting to fill out,” Alt added. “Schools are waiting to see if I can put on the weight, which I definitely think I will, to play offensive line or if they want me to stay at tight end.”
Alt’s father, John, played offensive tackle for Iowa before a career with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1984-96 and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection (’92 and ‘93). He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2002.
His older brother Mark Alt has played professional hockey since 2010 and is under contract with the Colorado Avalanche.
He is Notre Dame’s third offensive line pledge for the 2021 class, joining Avon (Ind.) High’s Blake Fisher and Chicago Marist’s Pat Coogan.
During his junior season, Alt caught 17 passes for 143 yards.
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