2009 Notre Dame Recruiting Update: Part Four—Tight Ends

By Michael Rubin, Domer Sports Report

The Irish have two verbal commitments at tight end already and have their eye on a third. The Irish, who already have good depth at the tight end position, have their eye a few guys that could come in and play multiple positions.

Tight Ends

Tyler Eifert, a 6'6", 220-lb. tight end from Fort Wayne, Indiana, committed to Notre Dame in early July. Eifert is better described as an athlete than a tight end. Charlie Weis has said he has the possibility of playing multiple positions during his time in South Bend.

Eifert also held offers from Purdue, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Indiana, Minnesota, and Northwestern. He caught a huge 27-yard touchdown pass this past weekend on a 3rd-and-19 with only 19 seconds left to give his Bishop Dwenger team a 21-17 win in their sectional opener.

Eifert said that the tradition at Notre Dame played a huge role in his decision.

Notre Dame also received a commitment from 6'4", 202-lb. Jake Golic. Golic, the son of Irish grad Mike Golic Sr., will join his brother, Mike Golic Jr., who currently plays center for Notre Dame.

Golic, who attends Northwest Catholic in West Hartford, Connecticut, also held an offer from the University of Connecticut. Golic, who was the first member of the Irish's 2009 recruiting class to commit, did so in early April.

Here is his evaluation from ESPN.com:

"Like his brother (Mike Golic, Jr.) before him, Jake Golic is an undersized but talented player. He has the frame to add bulk and the tools to be a productive college player. Has a tall, rangy frame, but lacks the burst and separation speed to stay at wide receiver. Has the frame, ball skills and physical nature to develop into a well rounded college tight end.

"Has good hands and very good ball skills. Can be a bit of a body catcher, but has shown the ability to snatch away from his body. Can locate the ball and make over-the-shoulder grabs. Displays very good concentration in traffic and will take the hit to make the grab. He's competitive and will elevate to go get the ball at its highest point.

"Has the height, leaping ability and attitude to be a solid red-zone option. Has adequate speed and runs solid routes. Needs to build speed and will be most dangerous in short and intermediate zones. He isn't especially elusive, but he's savvy enough to make a defender or two miss when he catches in stride.

"Has eye-opening blocking potential. Plays a physical game despite being light in the pants. Has some experience as an in-line blocker, and shows promising toughness and technique. Makes good initial contact and quickly establishes good hand placement.

"Golic needs to hit a college weight program to add a lot of bulk, but he could be a difference-making college player if he adds enough size without losing any speed."

The Irish also have an offer out on Gabe Ikard. Ikard is a 6'4", 246-lb. tight end from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He currently holds offers from Tulsa, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Stanford, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

It appears that his hometown University of Oklahoma is currently the school of choice for Ikard. Gabe was in Dallas to watch the Sooners take on the Texas Longhorns several weeks ago and comes from a long line of Sooner graduates in his family. Both of Ikard's brothers are graduates of OU, and he plans on becoming a doctor.

Due to the depth that Notre Dame has at the tight end position, along with the fact that they already have two tight end commitments for the '09 class, it is said that Ikard could come in and play defensive end. He came on an official visit to South Bend to watch the Irish dismantle the Michigan Wolverines and left impressed with the turnaround from last year's team.

Time will tell on where Ikard will attend college, and we will be sure to keep you posted.