About a year ago, Rocco Spindler and his family knew that his grandfather, George, only had a few days left before passing away.
George grew up a major Notre Dame fan, and Rocco was already a major Fighting Irish offensive guard target in the 2021 class. Before he passed, Rocco told him that he’d be going to Notre Dame, even though the four-star recruit wouldn’t make that decision final until a year later.
“He was a huge Notre Dame fan,” Spindler told reporters minutes after making his decision public. “He wanted my father [Marc Spindler] to go to Notre Dame. When I was a young boy, my grandfather always told me the pros of going to Notre Dame and why it’s so special. As soon as the recruiting process started, I saw why Notre Dame was so special. I made him a promise, and now I’m fulfilling that.
“It was a really tough decision. The opportunity all of the schools offered — it was splitting hairs. I was thankful for every opportunity they gave me. You have to sort out the pros and cons of each team.”
To the delight of Fighting Irish fans, not only is Notre Dame landing an elite talent — the nation’s No. 3 offensive guard and No. 56 overall prospect per Rivals — but they also delivered a major blow to one of its biggest recruiting rivals in the meantime.
Spindler had a final five schools list of LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State, but everyone knew it’d be the Irish or Wolverines. He admits it was a hard decision to turn down Michigan and didn’t inform the U-M staff of his choice until about 30 minutes before he announced his commitment.
“It was very tough; it was heartbreaking. ... It was a very close decision,” Spindler said. “It was not easy; that’s why it took so long to this point.
“Michigan and the rest of the schools gave it their best shot. I believe Michigan is one of the best recruiting schools out there, starting with Matt Dudek, Coach [Jim] Harbaugh, [Ed] Warriner. They couldn’t have done anything better; it’s just what I wanted for myself and with my family.”
But what Notre Dame offered him was just too good to turn down.
“You’re going to win a national championship on the field and you’re going to win one in the classroom,” Spindler stated. “The business school is one of the best, they can develop guys and get them to the league, and I believe they’re [Offensive Line U]. They’re the NFL factory of offensive linemen.”
Spindler told Kelly and the Irish staff that he’d be picking the Irish a couple weeks before his announcement, and he recalled that Kelly was jumping up and down with excitement.
“I told him, ‘Hey coach, I need you to be my coach. I don’t need you to get a heart attack,’” Spindler said with a smile. “Coach Quinn [was excited] as well. It was a very heart-warming experience.
The 6-5, 315-pounder is now ready to go help lead the Irish to its first national championship in more than 30 years.
“I believe Notre Dame is going to win in the next few years — either coming up now or by the time I get there,” Spindler said. “I believe they have the right coaching staff. Kelly knows what he has to do, and I believe he’s getting the best guys in the country now.”
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