It’s probably safe to assume that Kory Minor played a role in class of 2022 safety Cooper Barkate receiving an offer from Notre Dame.
Minor, a former linebacker for the Fighting Irish from 1995-98, has been the head football coach at Capistrano (Calif.) St. Margaret’s High since 2018. Barkate played his first two prep seasons under Minor before transferring to Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei for his junior year.
But that hasn’t stopped Barkate from seeing his stock rise on the recruiting front. Minor’s alma mater offered Barkate a scholarship last Wednesday. Irish recruiting coordinator Brian Polian extended the good news to the 6-1, 180-pound athlete.
“I gave [Minor] a call right after I got off the phone with Coach Polian,” Barkate said. “He was really happy and proud of me. He had been in my ear before about how Notre Dame would be a great fit for me. I hear from everyone about the connections and network that helps you after you graduate from Notre Dame. It’s a really special place to be with a lot of tradition.”
Barkate has been to Notre Dame on three separate occasions: when he was a child to see the campus, three years ago for a lacrosse game and November of 2019 for a game day recruiting visit. He’s had high interest in Notre Dame for quite some time, but he didn’t know that he was on the staff’s radar of a potential offer.
Barkate spoke on the phone with Polian last Tuesday, and they spoke again the following day.
“I gave him a call and we talked about my family and got to know each other,” recalled Barkate. “He said he’d be meeting with the defensive staff the next morning, and then we talked again and he gave me the offer.
“He seems like a great guy. This was my first time speaking with him. He’s a super nice guy and I’m hoping to meet with him soon in person.”
Barkate won’t be able to meet Polian in person until at least mid-April. The NCAA’s recruiting dead period is set to run through April 15, but there is some optimism that visits could open up this spring.
The Golden State product doesn’t have a set timeline of what’s next in his recruitment, but he knows that getting back to South Bend is a priority.
“I’m definitely looking for a school that suits me academically and athletically,” he said. “Notre Dame does a great job of that. I’m really interested in them.”
Rivals lists Barkate as a wide receiver prospect, but the Irish staff is recruiting him as a safety. He certainly has the talent to play on either side of the ball at the next level.
“When I made the move to Mater Dei, I’ve just been playing receiver,” he noted. “I have no preference or problem playing either side of the ball. I’m the type of guy who just wants to get on the field and make some plays. I’m fine with playing either one.”
Barkate also holds offers from the likes of Arizona State, Arkansas, Columbia, Harvard, Kansas, Nebraska, Purdue, Utah, Virginia Tech and Yale.
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