Where one could reasonably see a pointless exercise, Blake Fisher saw opportunity in droves.
Earlier in June, Fisher was asked to come to the TractionAp Midwest Exposure Skill Camp in Fort Wayne, Ind., early Saturday morning, and his response required little thought. He’d go, no hesitation. It didn’t matter that he is already a top-25 player nationally, has been committed to Notre Dame for more than a year, and is the Irish’s most visible and vocal recruit on social media.
Plus, some actual in-person competition for the first time in three-plus months could help.
“I haven’t had one-on-ones with people in a long time, so it’s just seeing where I’m at physically and mentally,” Fisher said.
After two hours, it became clear Fisher hadn’t missed much of anything. In a camp of about 50 offensive and defensive linemen, he managed to stand out in stature and skill. The 6-6, 330-pound Avon (Ind.) offensive tackle put his impressive quickness and agility for his size on display. In one-on-ones, he dominated a group he was supposed to dominate.
All told, it was a strong performance to put toward one of the last remaining goals of his high school career: Earn a fifth star. Fisher is currently the No. 22 overall player in the 2021 class. There are 17 five-stars right now, a number than usually grows to around 30 by the final rankings update. With no practices since March, there hasn’t been much new film to offer recruiting analysts. That sure was one reason he decided to come to the camp.
“A fifth star is a big deal for me,” Fisher said. “I don’t usually look at stars and rankings, but a fifth star would be great. If I do get it, I’ll work to continue to keep it and progress in the rankings to help my team out.”
In the meantime, Fisher’s unofficial status as Notre Dame’s biggest ambassador and recruiter has kept him busy. The Irish still have a number of their top offensive targets left on the board. With no visits allowed until at least September (and perhaps longer), any relationship Fisher has with them can only help grow their comfort with Notre Dame.
“The linemen, Rocco Spindler, Joe Alt, Nolan Rucci,” Fisher said, listing off the key targets. “On offense, Dont’e Thornton, Jayden Thomas, Titus (Mokiao-Atimalala), Logan Diggs, Donovan Edwards, Brock Bowers. We’re getting after it on the recruiting trail. It may not seem like it, but it’s hard to commit when you can’t take visits.”
With his own recruitment, Fisher said he is in touch with Brian Kelly, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and offensive line coach Jeff Quinn at least two or three times per week. As eager as he is to help in recruiting, he’s quick to deflect most of the credit where he thinks it belongs.
“Us as an offense unit and the offensive staff have helped to recruit these guys,” Fisher said. “We’re all part of it. It may seem like I do more, but I’m the social media guy. Those guys are calling, texting every day.”
Notre Dame has landed one offensive commit since October, Chicago Marist offensive lineman Pat Coogan. Notre Dame’s staff offered Coogan in March, with the idea that an offer would vault them near or at the top of Coogan’s list. He had visited before, but moved up his decision timeline to commit before a scheduled official visit (that was later canceled).
Fisher, unsurprisingly, was active in that recruitment.
“With Pat, he really started to vibe with our class,” Fisher said. “He was a really good fit for us. I talk to him every day now. That’s my brother for real and can’t wait to get to work with him.”
Another future teammate, Notre Dame defensive tackle commit Gabriel Rubio, took a trip to Notre Dame from his hometown of St. Louis earlier in June. On his way back, he stopped in Indianapolis to see Fisher. The two of them have grown close since committing on the same day: June 15, 2019.
“It has been a blessing to share that day with him and get to know him and his family on a personal level,” Fisher said. “They definitely inspire me when I’m around them. One of my mottos is you have to hang around mature people to mature yourself.”
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