Notre Dame offered its first two offensive linemen in the 2023 class on Feb. 4, and Pleasant Hill (Iowa) Southeast Polk's Kadyn Proctor picked up one of them.
Proctor, a 6-7, 300-pound sophomore, has garnered plenty of early attention. He already holds 14 offers, but the offer from the Irish was an important one to him.
“I was extremely overjoyed,” Proctor said. “I got the offer sitting next to my parents and I know that it’s almost considered an Ivy League school. Ivy League schools don’t do full scholarships so it’s a win-win for me getting the best degree I can with playing the sport I love.”
Academics are going to play a big role in Proctor’s recruitment, and Notre Dame has been playing into that pitch from the beginning.
Offensive line coach Jeff Quinn has taken the lead in Proctor’s recruitment over the past month. The two have been in contact since the middle of January, about two weeks before Proctor received his offer from Notre Dame.
“Coach Quinn is a very nice guy,” Proctor explained. “He is a respectful coach that treats his kids right.”
Quinn and Proctor have spoken roughly once a week since their relationship began nearly a month ago. The Iowa offensive lineman shares the same sentiment that many have when it comes to Quinn.
The players Quinn recruits nearly all take a major liking to his ability to recruit them and build a relationship outside of football. Quinn is doing just that with Proctor and he is loving it.
It also helps that Notre Dame has a strong claim to being ‘O-Line U’ and Proctor is well aware of that.
“I know that they produce offensive lineman and send them to the NFL,” Proctor said. “That’s what I like to see. I would also get a very good education in the process of me doing football-related things.”
With the recent success of Quenton Nelson, Ronnie Stanley, Mike McGlinchey, Zack Martin and others, Notre Dame has become a supreme school to attend for offensive linemen like Proctor.
At 6-7, 300-pounds already, Proctor is only going to grow into his body and become even more of a terror than he currently is. His strength is supreme for his age and his feet are impressive considering his frame.
Proctor is not the only player being recruited from Southeast Polk, as 2022 safety target Xavier Nwankpa has emerged as a priority for defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman.
The Irish staff wants to get both Proctor and Nwankpa on campus as soon as possible when the NCAA ends the recruiting dead period.
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