Notre Dame has been interested in College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy running back Damari Alston for close to a year and finally extended the news of a scholarship offer to the four-star class of 2022 recruit.
Irish running backs coach Lance Taylor got in touch with Woodward Academy assistant coach Ryan Davis to let him know that he wanted to speak with Alston. The ensuing conversation on August 19 resulted in Alston receiving an offer he coveted.
“We had a pretty long talk – not just about football,” Alston said. “We talked about my family and his family and how everything has been going with their football team. Coach Taylor is a pretty cool dude, and he wanted to let me know that they were extending the offer to me. He said that they’ve been looking at me for a while.
“Getting this offer is really exciting. I visited a while back when they played Navy, which shows I was already interested in the school. They have a big alumni base. It’s a great offer to have.”
Alston has already connected well with Taylor.
“He’s definitely caring and is serious about the offer,” Alston noted. “Some schools might offer you but then you never talk to them again. But he’s definitely serious.”
When Alston took that visit to Notre Dame, he held a few offers at that point. He’s blown up since then. The Irish’s offer to Alston might be considered “late” as they were the 41st school to offer him, but at the same time, the 5-10, 206-pounder has yet to even play a game of his junior season.
Alton doesn’t feel that the timing of Notre Dame’s offer will play a negative role in how he views them.
“Definitely not. I know a lot of guys in my class are committing pretty early, but I’m still going with the flow,” he said. “My parents wouldn’t even let me commit. I’ll probably narrow my schools down after January or sometime after the season and commit next summer.”
The day after Alston received the offer from Notre Dame, he got on a Zoom call with his parents and Taylor, which was a big hit.
“It went well,” Alston stated. “I loved the energy he brought to the table, and he was able to meet my family. We also talked some ball and how Notre Dame runs its offense.”
In the 2021 recruiting class, offensive tackle Blake Fisher has been very vocal in recruiting other prospects to Notre Dame. Who the ringleader will be for the Irish in the 2022 class may be tight end Jack Nickel, who has known Alston for years.
“He texted me a couple weeks ago, and I told him Notre Dame would be big,” Alston noted.
Alston rushed for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 157 carries in 2019.
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