Notre Dame Football: Tyler Eifert Commits to the Irish

What do you do with a kid who's 6'5" with 4.5 speed, can catch the ball, and is dying to play for the Irish?  You offer him a scholarship.

Notre Dame extended an offer to WR/TE Tyler Eifert after he camped and impressed at Notre Dame.  Eifert, from the same school as freshman wide receiver John Goodman, will likely be slotted at Tight End, but he could be a matchup problem for small corners as a wide receiver.  He's Notre Dame's 11th commitment.

ESPN's Evaluation of Eifert:

"Eifert is a big, productive high school wide receiver, but he'll be better suited to tight end in college.  He lacks the speed to accelerate and separate from college cornerbacks.  Possesses good height and a projectable frame, but definitely needs the benefits of a college weight program to add bulk.  Displays soft hands and the ability to pluck the ball.

"Eifert's main contribution to a college program likely will be as a pass-catcher, especially initially.  He has the frame and hands to be a chains-mover."

And a little blurb from gridirondigest.net:

"I'll tell you someone who COULD be a great TE from the Ft. Wayne area is Senior-to-be Tyler Eifert from Bishop Dwenger.  At 6'5" and 210+ lbs. this kid's true calling may be at the TE spot in college.  He currently plays WR and CB in Dwenger's Cover 2 package.  Very physical.  Very athletic.  Great hands.  Good speed for a TE, average speed as a WR.

"Defensively, nobody could throw his way in the Cover 2, unless you had a speedy wideout with good feet off the ball who could squeak by on a hard slant.  If the kid stays healthy, and I already know he is a workout machine, he will turn many ppl's heads next year around the state!"

And from ESPN after his Ohio State Combine: 

"Reminiscent of Indianapolis Colts TE Dallas Clark, Eifert may be falling under the national radar because he is a tweener currently lacking the great bulk to project well as an in-line tight end and the speed to create consistent separation as a college wide receiver.

"Tweener or not, this kid is a darn athletic tight end with a great set of hands and a knack for getting open.  He was an extremely difficult matchup for some of the camp's better linebackers during one-on-one passing drills and just showed a knack for creating separation and making the difficult grab.

"The most exciting part about this kid is his potential for physical development.  He looked a shade under his listed height of 6-foot-5 but has a long frame with broad shoulders.  He should see his 220 pounds quickly become 250 once he attacks a fulltime college weight training program.  He might not possess prototypical TE measurables but could use that to his favor if a team decides to use him creatively as an H-back."

Finally, here's a look at his Rivals Video.