Tennessee Growing In Notre Dame Recruiting Efforts
Friday’s verbal commitment from three-star receiver TJ Sheffield from Thompson’s Station, Tenn., appears to have a caveat with it.
“My plans are to officially visit several colleges to confirm my decision and have no regrets,” Sheffield wrote on his Twitter account.
Whether the 18th Irish verbal in the Class of 2019 will remain among the group is to be determined, but overshadowed is the inroads Notre Dame has made since 2000 in the Volunteeer state.
Per our research, only 22 players (including walk-ons) from Tennessee have ever seen action as Notre Dame football players, with almost half of them since the turn of the century, including current figures such as Nashville natives guard/captain Alex Bars, kicker Justin Yoon and cornerback Donte Vaughn, who is from Memphis.
Although it will always be challenging to pluck any top prospect away from SEC country, Notre Dame has had decent success in Tennessee the past 40 years. Intrestingly, among all current SEC schools, the Tennessee Volunteers have played Notre Dame the most during the regular season with eight meetings from 1978 through 2005. The series is tied at 4-4.
Here are our top 5 players from the state:
1. Golden Tate (Hendersonville, 2007-09)
The most electrifying triple threat for the Fighting Irish since Rocket Ismail (1988-90), the 2009 Biletnikoff Award winner turned pro after a junior season in which he caught 93 passes that averaged 16.1 yards per reception and included 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 186 yards that season, averaging 7.4 yards per carry, and had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown at Pitt. The second-round pick was the top receiver on the 2014 Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and caught anywhere from 90 to 99 passes each of the last four seasons with the Detroit Lions.
2. Willie Fry (Memphis, 1973, 1975-77)
Inexorably linked with classmate and fellow “bookend” Ross Browner, the Browner-Fry tandem is the Gold Standard at Notre Dame for pass rushing duos at end, helping the Irish to two national titles. The UPI second-team All-American was a second-round pick who recorded 214 tackles at Notre Dame, 29 for lost yardage. He also was a rare two-time captain.
3. Harrison Smith (Knoxville, 2007-11)
A safety who served as the sole captain in 2011, Smith developed tremendously his last two seasons under Brian Kelly’s staff and became the first Irish player from Tennessee to become a first-round selection. Recruited the same year as Tate, Smith recorded 307 career tackles, and all seven of his interceptions came in 2010, three in the Sun Bowl win over Miami. Today he is one of the premier and best-paid safeties in the NFL.
4. Chuck Lanza (Germantown, 1983-87)
Powerful center was a second-team AP and UPI All-American as a fifth-year senior and served as a co-captain in head coach Lou Holtz’s second season. He was drafted in the third round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
5. Alex Bars (Nashville, 2014-present)
Enters his third season as a starter at left guard after starting all 12 contests at right tackle in 2016 and all 13 at right guard last season. Named a preseason first-team All-American by Street & Smith and The Sporting News, his versatility should make him one of the top offensive linemen in next spring’s NFL Draft.
Special mention also goes to:
• Matt Shelton (Collierville, 2001-05), who in 2004 set the Notre Dame single season record for yards per catch (25.8), with his 20 grabs, six of which were touchdowns. He also nabbed 28 receptions as a fifth-year senior under first-year head coach Charlie Weis.
• Current kicker Yoon (Nashville), who in his first three seasons has converted 80.8 percent of his field-goal attempts (42 of 52), easily the best among Irish players with at least 50 attempts.
• Joe Signaigo (Memphis), a reserve guard who played on national title units in 1943, 1946 and 1947.
• Sophomore defensive end Thomas Knight (Memphis), a starter on the 11-1 team in 1993.
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