Irish Offer TE Walk-On Spot

Notre Dame isn't planning to sign a tight end this recruiting cycle, but just because the Irish are electing to pass on the position doesn't mean they aren't trying to lure a Football Bowl Subdivision talent to campus.

This past weekend, the Irish offered Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary tight end Niko Lalos a preferred walk-on spot at Notre Dame.

Lalos, who holds offers from Army, Princeton, Dartmouth, Akron, Kent State and Brown, was on campus for the UMass game on Saturday. He said that he had a chance to talk with the coaches and meet former walk-on Joe Schmidt, who had a message for him.

"I'm definitely interested in Notre Dame and walking on, because after the game I had a chance to talk with Joe Schmidt and some of the freshmen walk-ons," Lalos said. "[Schmidt] was just telling me how hard it is, but how it's worth it in the long run. It seems like a good opportunity, so I just want to look around and see how things go."

Lalos is listed as a linebacker and is being recruited by some schools to play in the box as a standup defensive end, but he said that Notre Dame likes him on offensive side of the ball as a tight end.

"When I got there for the visit I talked with [tight ends coach] Scott Booker and [director of player personnel] Dave Peloquin," Lalos said. "I went into Peloquin's office and he told me that they were offering me a spot as a preferred walk-on tight end. He said that they have so many tight ends, and they don't plan on any leaving, but if something changes they could offer a scholarship depending on how things go, because you just never know."

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While Lalos admits that he was excited to learn that he has a spot waiting for him in South Bend, he says that a difficult decision could be on the horizon, and that's where Schmidt's words of advice could pay off for the Irish in the long run. The former walk-on from Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., turned down scholarship offers from Air Force and Cincinnati to play at Notre Dame.

Lalos said that he's considering following the same path after chatting with Schmidt.

"My parents like Notre Dame, because it's kind of just the same as an Ivy League offer, because they don't give athletic scholarships. It's just that the football at Notre Dame is a little bit better," Lalos said. "I'm not saying that Ivy League football can't compete or anything like that, but more that Notre Dame just has good academics and football."

The 6-5, 230-pound Lalos said that he plans to visit Army and a few different Ivy League schools in the coming months. He added that he'll likely return to Notre Dame later in the season for another unofficial visit and plans to keep in contact with the coaching staff.

He was named to Cleveland.com's list of the top 11 defensive lineman in northeast Ohio back in August.

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