Setting this in stone
Jason Pham
"I'll admit Ohio State and Florida are ahead but most of the other quotes are bogus," says Andrew Sweat regarding a recent recruiting article that sparked an uproar across Notre Dame message boards.
"The [Coach] Carr thing, not true," holds the linebacker recruit from Pennsylvania, "I said stability is a must for me. The interviewer mentioned rumors had been going around about him and I said, 'Yea, I heard that.' A lot of recruits are bringing that up but I'm not the one that said that."
Having visited South Bend during Notre Dame's Junior Day at the beginning of March, followed by a visit to Ohio State, and recently taking a trip to Florida, Andrew responds to accusations of being indecisive, "I'm not changing my mind. I just went to Notre Dame, then Ohio State, then Florida. Ohio State one upped Notre Dame and Florida tied it up with Ohio State."
With a planned visit to Notre Dame, Andrew's schools of interest are beginning to create separation. "[Coach Brown] has been texting, but I'm not sure. I can definitely say that Ohio State and Florida are ahead. Notre Dame is up there, though. It's a great institution, just not sure if it's for me."
Among his concerns, location is a deciding factor, "[Notre Dame] is six hours from my house. My parents have a house in Florida and my aunt lives close to Gainesville and Ohio State is just two hours from home."
When asked about how his decision will be made, Andrew responds, "These are the top programs in the country, nothing is really wrong with them. I mean you have to pick one, I am just looking at every aspect because between those, they are the best. It's hard and I'm 17 years old, these guys act as if everything that is said about you is set in stone."
Wherever Andrew might end up, he will make a positive impact on and off the field. He's been well spoken and upfront with me and has been unfortunately misrepresented by writers for recruiting sites who slant the interviews and articles without restraint leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of fans who then pass judgment on a high schooler trying to make a decision that will affect the rest of his life. I remember one of the first things that Andrew said to me was that he didn't want to make a decision until he had visited all his schools of interest and has thoroughly considered each program's offerings, and it seems to me that he has done just that. Because of his honest and open nature, Andrew has been quoted repeatedly listing his top schools. Unfortunately, this has been interpreted as indecision when in reality, with each list, Andrew became more and more aware of what sets these programs apart and each list became more and more educated and true to his priorities.
From this we can learn that self-proclaimed recruiting experts might be better considered recruiting fan fiction authors, their words taken with the highest degree of skepticism. From this we learn that as much as we hold dear to us Notre Dame, Our Mother, not only recruits, but every high school student must look out for their best interests and in the end, Notre Dame is not the place for everyone, even if it's just a whim that one cannot explain. From this we learn even more intimately and appreciate even more the type of student athletes that are attracted to Notre Dame.
So the best of luck to Andrew wherever he ends up. And, most importantly... Go Irish.
