Adam Breneman isn't wasting any time with his recruiting process. The 2013 tight end from Camp Hill, Pa., (Cedar Cliff) took multiple visits around the country over the spring and summer and has already been to games at Maryland, Penn State, Virginia and Rutgers this fall.
“The reason I’m going on all of these visits is that I want to get out and get a little more comfortable with the programs and the coaching staffs,” the 6-foot-5, 220-pound junior said. “Hopefully, after the season I can start to narrow things down a little bit from these visits and get a little bit closer to a decision.”
Breneman has 13 scholarship offers already, including ones from Notre Dame, Alabama, Michigan, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers and Virginia. Most programs, including Notre Dame, have informed Breneman that he’ll be their top tight end target in 2013.
He has plans to be at Pittsburgh later this season, but he’ll make his next trip to South Bend for the Notre Dame-USC game next weekend. Breneman did check out Notre Dame over the summer and told Irish Sports Daily afterward that he had “an awesome trip.”
“I was very impressed with everything,” he said at the time. “First off, just talking to the academic people and talking about what a degree from Notre Dame can give you. The campus is gorgeous; it’s probably the best campus I’ve seen so far as far as what it looks like. The facilities were awesome from the chapels to all of the buildings.”
This time, Breneman is excited to see the fall atmosphere in South Bend.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “It should be great. When we went out this summer, it was just my dad and I. This time, my mom and my head coach will be coming with us and my little brother. Getting on campus again and talking to the coaches again will be great.”
Breneman has been staying in touch with the Irish staff, offensive coordinator Charley Molnar and tight end coach Mike Denbrock specifically.
“I’ve been in very consistent contact with the staff at Notre Dame whether it’s on Facebook or e-mail,” Breneman said. “I get hand-written letters from them often and I talk Coach Molnar and Coach Denbrock on the phone occasionally.”
The Irish staff also made an appearance at one of Breneman’s game this year prior to Notre Dame’s win over Pittsburgh. Notre Dame is trying to convince Breneman that he can follow in the success of Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Eifert.
“They’re selling how they produce their tight ends,” Breneman said of the Irish. “Right now, they’re using their tight ends a lot. I’ve been watching them on TV, seeing how they’re getting the tight end the ball and how they produce their tight ends for the next level. Obviously, I think the program is definitely on the right track and on their way up.”
It’s clear Breneman is taking a thorough approach to his recruitment, but evaluating the styles of each school on his list will be a major component of the process.
“I definitely want to go somewhere that’s going to throw me the ball and allow me to be a playmaker in the offense,” he said. “Seeing them doing that now kind of reassures that and I can see myself doing the same things they’re doing now.”