The Notre Dame coaching staff offered Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph running back Audric Estime on Dec. 14, and it only took him four days to announce his commitment to the Fighting Irish. Estime has also signed his national letter of intent with the Irish.
“Honestly, it is a great fit with everything they can offer me,” Estime told BlueandGold.com about choosing Notre Dame. “It’s the best of both worlds with their academics and it’s a top football school.
“I think Notre Dame will put me in the best position to be successful in life and reach the goals that I've set.”
Estime flipped his pledge from Michigan State to Notre Dame. The four-star prospect originally committed to the Spartans Sept. 13 over finalists Arizona State, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Rutgers and Virginia Tech. He held more than 20 scholarships in total.
He will add to a strong running back room that will return Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree in 2021, and Estime offers the talent to contribute as a true freshman.
Estime has been in contact with Notre Dame running backs coach Lance Taylor and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian for several weeks.
“They’re really great guys,” Estime previously said of the Notre Dame staff. “They’re about the business. They know what they want and they’re going to go get it. They’re high on academics, too, so that's important and I think they're great coaches.
“It’s a great overall program. With their academics and athletics, it’s kind of like the best of both worlds.”
The Rivals250 prospect hasn’t been able to see the Irish play much live this year, but he’s made it a priority to watch highlights of their games and has been impressed.
“They looked good all around, honestly,” Estime said about Notre Dame’s win over Clemson Nov. 7. “The running backs looked good, the offensive line looked good, and it's always big to win a big game like that.
“They fought to the end, two overtimes and I want to be a part of a team that will fight to the end. That was really impressive to me.”
Rivals ranks Estime as the No. 3 player in New Jersey, and the nation’s No. 7 running back and No. 132 overall player. After his stellar senior season, he moved up 83 spots in the national rankings.
“Audric is a powerful downhill runner that is extremely nimble on his feet,” St. Joseph’s head coach Dan Marangi said. “He’s really strong and tough with sneaky speed for a bigger back. [Notre Dame] is getting an all-state player both on and off the field.
“He’s a captain and leader of our squad. He brings his infectious smile and positive attitude every day; always looking to get better.”
During his senior season, the four-star prospect rushed for 1,857 yards and 22 scores on just 190 attempts. His strong performance this fall impressed the Irish staff and was a big reason why he netted an offer.
As a junior in 2019, Estime ran for 1,190 yards and 13 touchdowns on 173 carries.
“Estime has put in a lot of work this year to really become a complete back,” Rivals.com East Coast analyst Adam Friedman said. “He runs with power between the tackles and has good vision to find the running lanes and break big runs. He has the burst to get around the corner, which is something he didn’t have as a junior last year.
“He has the ability to make guys miss in the open field and can drag defenders for yards after contact. I really see the progress Estime has made over the last year, and he has a bright future ahead of him at Notre Dame.”
Notre Dame is up to 26 signees in the 2021 class and 13 play on the offensive side of the ball. Estime is Notre Dame’s 12th verbal of the class that is ranked at least four-stars per Rivals.
----
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• Sign up for Blue & Gold's news alerts and daily newsletter.
• Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @Rivals_Singer, @PatrickEngel_, @MasonPlummer_ and @AndrewMentock.
• Like us on Facebook.
