ISD Freebie
Top 2013 Athlete Talks Irish Offer
The offer lists for 2013 prospects are starting to expand and some juniors-to-be are already reporting offers from Notre Dame.
Seffner, Fla., safety Leon McQuay III of Armwood High School says Notre Dame offered him a couple weeks back to go with offers from Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, South Florida, Vanderbilt, and Boston College.
“My coach told me,” McQuay said of the Irish offer. “I already kind of knew about it because he told me before that they were recruiting me and were going to offer me.”
He hasn’t had any direct contact with the Notre Dame coaching staff, but his coach has been passing along information. “My coach mailed me a bunch of stuff about the school and the academics. I like it,” said McQuay.
McQuay expects to visit South Bend at some point and said his coach is planning on coming with him, but isn’t sure when.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound safety has been timed a 4.5 and said most coaches have been impressed with his coverage ability. He’s enjoyed the interest he’s getting at this early stage, but isn’t letting it get to his head.
“It feels good, but I know I’ve got to keep working,” he said.
Armwood High School head coach Sean Callahan had five players sign with colleges last year and already has 10 prospects in the 2012 class, including touted running back Matt Jones, who is committed to Florida, but Callahan sees McQuay’s potential beyond the collegiate level
“He’s probably the best athlete we’ve ever had,” Callahan said. “He’s a guy that’s going to probably be playing on Sundays. He’s got good grades, he’s got good parents. He’s got a lot of things in place to move on.
“He’s extremely raw. Once he knows where he’s going, he finishes really well, whether it’s hitting or catching the ball.”
Callahan believes McQuay could play safety or corner in college.
“If he doesn’t fill out, I guess he could play corner,” the coach said. “Right now, he’s very lean and muscular.
“He’s a very big tackler. He’s just got to understand the concept of the game. The learning curve is not a big curve, but we’re still in it.”
McQuay doesn’t have any leaders at this point, but knows a couple of factors that will play a role in his decision.
“I’m going to be looking for early playing time and good academics,” he said.
Academics will be a major portion of McQuay’s decision. He reports a 3.4 unweighted grade-point average and a 4.24 weighted GPA.
“My dad always told me that if I have an education, colleges are going to want me more,” said McQuay, who plans on majoring in engineering. “They won’t have to worry about me in the classroom.”
With elite offers already, it sounds like the only thing colleges have to worry about with McQuay is the competition to sign him.
