Top 2022 DE Joe Strickland Returning To Notre Dame
Indianapolis (Ind.) Brebeuf Jesuit Prep class of 2022 standout defensive end Joe Strickland had a strong sophomore season, recording 24 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
He's one of the top defensive lineman prospects in his class and has already earned offers from Boston College, Indiana, Purdue, and Toledo. Could Notre Dame be next on his list?
This weekend, Strickland will make his third trip to Notre Dame in five months. He had a strong camp performance at Notre Dame in June and saw the Irish knock off USC.
"I loved it," Strickland said of Oct. 12 visit to Notre Dame. "The atmosphere there was crazy from the time I got there to the time I left. My whole day was pretty great. We sat right next to the student section and it was crazy."
Strickland arrived to Notre Dame around 1 p.m. that day with his parents and saw the weight room, practice fields and all of the Notre Dame football facilities.
He also got to spend some time with the Irish's defensive line coach.
"I talked to Coach Mike Elston; I enjoyed that," Strickland said. "We talked during the camp quite a bit over the summer, and he wanted to meet my parents. So he got to meet them during this visit. That went well."
College coaches can't directly reach out to recruits via text message or phone calls until Sept. 1 of their junior seasons, so communication with class of 2022 prospects comes in-person during visits.
When Elston and Strickland met during the October visit, they got to catch up about Strickland's sophomore season.
"He wants me to get out there more and wanted to make sure I was enjoying my time," added Strickland.
Notre Dame has offered just three recruits in the 2022 class. If the Irish do offer Strickland, they'll be tough to beat.
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