Jayden Bellamy on how he surprised Notre Dame with his commitment
Jayden Bellamy visited Rutgers for an unofficial visit during the first week of June. He took official visits to Penn State June 11 and Notre Dame June 18.
Coming out of his visits and heading into his decision, pundits and college coaches alike didn’t have a great feeling on which school the Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic class of 2022 defensive back would choose.
“I went to Notre Dame, Penn State and Rutgers, and I didn’t show any emotion,” Bellamy explained. “None of the schools got a good feel for me. They just had to see what I was going to do.”
Bellamy announced his commitment to Notre Dame July 2, and sources on the Irish side of things told BlueandGold.com that folks in South Bend were caught off guard when the 5-11, 175-pounder called to commit. Penn State looked to be the favorite.
“I definitely surprised them,” Bellamy added. “I was going to commit on my dad’s birthday July 8, but something just came over me to do it as soon as possible. Notre Dame was always on my mind.”
The committed life has treated Bellamy well. He’s been able to focus on his high school season in which he’s been a key part of Bergen Catholic’s secondary. The Crusaders are the No. 6 team in the country per MaxPreps.
“I knew once I committed that it would it’d die down,” Bellamy said. “I feel more comfortable now that everyone is not calling and texting me. It feels way better.”
He’s also comfortable with his choice of the Fighting Irish.
“My decision was great,” he said. “They do it all on and off the field. I made the best decision for myself.”
Bellamy noted that Miami, Penn State and Rutgers have reached out since his commitment, but he’s locked in with the Irish.
“I talk to them every week,” he said of the Notre Dame staff. “They’ll send a text, and we’ll talk on the phone. We’re closer now, and we keep bonding and building our relationship.”
Rivals lists Bellamy as a cornerback recruit and the No. 54 player in the country at that position. However, he could play safety for Notre Dame. He plays both positions for Bergen Catholic, plus wide receiver from time to time.
“They can put me anywhere,” Bellamy stated. “They can put me at different positions, and whatever they feel best, they’ll play me at.”
Bellamy visited Notre Dame in September for the Irish’s 32-29 victory over Toledo.
“The visit was great,” he said. “The first time I visited for a game [November 2019], I didn’t really take it all in, but I took it all in this visit. The fans were all into it, and it was overall a great visit. I liked talking to the coaches and being in the environment of Notre Dame was great.”
Last season in a shortened six-game schedule, Bellamy caught eight passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns from Steve Angeli, Notre Dame’s quarterback commit in the 2022 class. On the defensive side of the ball, he posted 14 tackles, one interception that he returned 30 yards for a touchdown and broke up two passes.
Through five games as a senior this fall, he’s caught six passes for 102 yards and has posted 13 tackles, one interception and has broken up three passes.
“He’s a Swiss Army knife as a player,” Bergen Catholic head coach Vito Campanile said. “He’s such a great tackler. It’s really hard not to put him at safety, but his cover ability at cornerback is second to none. He can play any spot in the secondary. He’s really a complete player. He’s a quarterback of the defense in a lot of plays. A lot of things that Steve does on offense, Jayden does defensively. The fact that he can do that is an added value to our team.”
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