Irish land Coney
Notre Dame's linebacker class is complete.
On Thursday morning four-star athlete Tevon Coney from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., committed to the Irish, which beat out the in-state Gators head-to-head for the 6-foot, 221-pound prospect. Coney, who will get a school visit from Irish assistant coach Tony Alford later today, is Notre Dame's 21st verbal commitment and third linebacker.
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"For the next four years, I'll be playing at the University of Notre Dame," Coney said during an announcement at his high school.
He plans to do mid-year enrollment, joining the Irish program in January.
Coney, who first visited Notre Dame for the Irish Invasion in June and returned for the Michigan game on his official visit, joins Josh Barajas and Asmar Bilal in the program's linebacker haul.
The Coney commitment will move Notre Dame to No. 7 in the Rivals.com Team Rankings, jumping Florida State and Auburn.
"They have a great team and great academics," Coney told Rivals.com earlier this month. "And I like how their linebackers play aggressive. They have a big front four and they're coached very well. They use an NFL scheme and it's a good scheme to play in."
The final hurdle for Notre Dame to clear was Florida, which got an official visit for its home loss to LSU on Oct. 11. The Irish were confident in their chances before that final look at Gainesville, and not much changed coming out of that trip.
The commitment builds on Alford's work dating back to the summer when he convinced Coney to attend the Irish Invasion in June alongside his father. After entering the mix during the spring evaluation period thanks in part to Brian VanGorder, that summer look helped keep Notre Dame there for the duration.
"It was more than what I thought," Coney told Irish Illustrated last summer. "When I got here and first saw the campus, it was 'Wow.' I didn't think the campus would be that good. It was surprising to hear about the renovations and what they're doing to continue to make Notre Dame a better school.
"The first impression was good. I loved the campus, the facilities, all the great people there. The supporting staff, all the people to support you, they're all over. I really enjoyed it."
Mixing with Notre Dame's current roster during that weekend was key to making Coney feel comfortable in South Bend, including Jaylon Smith, Greg Bryant and Nyles Morgan.
"Greg Bryant is from my area, like 10 minutes away from me and he talked to me about the challenge there, how it makes you become a man and continue to grow," Coney said. "I talked to Nyles and he gave me good advice. Jaylon gave great advice. He told me if I want to get a great education and play great football to come to Notre Dame, not that he was trying to talk me into going there. But if I decided to come there he said he'd have my back 100 percent."
Coney also liked VanGorder's scheme, which has helped turn the Irish into contenders for the College Football Playoff.
"There's a lot of blitzing and I'm good at that," Coney said. "They need a will linebacker like me and I can come in and get early playing time. The defense is moving toward guys like me, guys like Jaylon Smith getting out there and making plays."
