Clemson Grad Transfer Scott Pagano To Visit Notre Dame This Weekend
Notre Dame is hosting a big visitor this weekend as it will welcome Clemson defensive tackle Scott Pagano, who is looking for a new home to play his final year of eligibility in 2017.
Landing the 6-foot-3, 295-pound Pagano would make a huge impact on the Irish defensive line in 2017 by filling a need on the interior with the departure of Jarron Jones to the NFL.
"Pagano would completely reshape the Notre Dame interior next season," said Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Bryan Driskell. "He can play the nose and the three-technique spot in defensive coordinator Mike Elko's system, and he has been more productive than anyone the Irish defense returns next season.
"He would provide the defense with a veteran presence, a rugged player with a strong motor, and he can penetrate," continued Driskell. "Landing Pagano would also give Notre Dame more versatility with its line, as a proven inside player gives Elko and defensive line coach Mike Elston the ability to be more flexible with how they use not only Pagano, but also Jerry Tillery, Jonathan Bonner and Jay Hayes."
The redshirt junior recorded 31 tackles, 4.5 for loss and two sacks this past season for the national champion Tigers including two tackles in each of their wins against Ohio State and Alabama. He finished his Clemson career with 92 total tackles, 6.5 for loss and two sacks in 31 career games (13 starts).
Pagano signed with the Tigers in the class of 2013 out of Honolulu (Hawaii) Moanalua over offers from Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Michigan, USC and many others. He was ranked as the No. 22 defensive tackle in the country.
Pagano is also set to visit Oklahoma (March 31), Arkansas (April 7), Texas (April 14) and Oregon (April 21). He originally scheduled the Notre Dame visit for March 24 but then realized that his visit coincided with Clemson's spring break. So, he rescheduled the visit to fit better around his schedule.
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digaital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_CoachD,
@BGI_MattJones, @BGI_DMcKinney and @BGI_CoreyBodden.
• Like us on Facebook.