Four-star WR Trey Blount finding a fit at Notre Dame
Trey Blount’s commitment to enjoying his Notre Dame recruiting visit started with his wardrobe.
The junior wide receiver prospect sported an Irish hockey sweater while on campus Saturday for junior day. He acquired the sweater through a classmate at Atlanta’s Pace Academy. That classmate’s brother works in the admissions office at Notre Dame.
And that’s not Blount’s only connection to the Irish. His teammate, Mick Assaf, has committed as a preferred walk-on with the Notre Dame football team next season. Assaf’s father, Fred, is the head of school at Pace Academy.
“Mick texts me every day and says ‘Go Irish!’ ” Blount said. “He thinks I should commit there. We could have another Pace dynasty up at Notre Dame. He recruits me as much as the coaches do. It’s kind of scary and kind of cool at the same time.”
After his trip to South Bend, Blount, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound ND target, can start to form his own unbiased opinions about Notre Dame. But he already held the Irish in high regard.
“Notre Dame was one of my top schools,” Blount said of his perception before visiting. “The tradition of Notre Dame is awesome.”
Blount documented much of his visit on social media. He shared pictures of his trip on Twitter throughout the day Saturday and even streamed live video from junior day on Periscope. Blount said it’s his way of showing appreciation for the visit while interacting with fans.
“I definitely try to reach out to the fans and let them know that I’m a people person and that I’m down-to-earth and very humble,” Blount said. “I enjoy it when they reach out to me.”
But the highlight of the visit for Blount wasn’t something he could capture with a photo. Learning about Notre Dame’s academic programs really impressed the aspiring electrical engineer.
“The academics are on point. They’re A1. They’re the best compared to any other school,” Blount said. “That really stood out to me, because I’m very serious about my academics. That’s one reason I would choose a school to go to.”
Blount also learned a lot about Notre Dame’s football team after watching the Irish practice and meeting with the coaching staff. Tight ends coach Scott Booker, who recruits in Georgia for ND, has built a solid relationship with Blount, who was also impressed by head coach Brian Kelly on the visit.
“He’s a great guy,” Blount said of Kelly. “He’s pretty funny. I see why Notre Dame is very successful.”
The spread offense employed by Kelly and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford is attractive to Blount.
“They know how to get the ball to the receivers,” Blount said. “I love the position they put the receivers in. They get the ball to them and let them make plays and help carry the offense.”
Blount was able to meet one of the receivers who did just that during his time with the Irish — NFL Draft prospect Will Fuller.
“It was definitely an honor to meet him after seeing him run that blazing 4.32 (40-yard dash) at the combine,” Blount said. “Then having a chance to meet him in person, he told me some encouraging things, and I had the chance to take a picture with him.”
Blount finds himself in a similar spot in the 247Sports rankings as Fuller did in high school. 247Sports slates Blount as a three-star recruit and the No. 51 wide receiver in the 2017 class. Fuller was rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 46 wide receiver in the 2013 class. Rivals rates Blount as a four-star prospect and the No. 48 wide receiver.
If Blount is going to follow Fuller’s path at Notre Dame, the Irish will have to beat out some strong competition. The day after his visit, Blount named Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Notre Dame and Oregon as his top five schools in an interview with Scout. After the video was released, he quickly backtracked by clarifying that those are just five of his top schools. He’s not necessarily drawing a line there.
“You definitely have to watch out what you say and how you say different things,” Blount said. “I enjoy having some of the spotlight on me when I say things, but you definitely you have to watch what you say.”
What Blount has said is that he hopes to visit Notre Dame again. He’s even considering an unofficial visit for a game in the fall followed by an official visit at a later date. But the only thing for certain currently is a Friday visit to Alabama.
When Blount gets back to Notre Dame, he already has a checklist ready for another inspection. He’ll have plenty of time to plan the next Irish wardrobe item to sport while on campus.
“I just want to check out the atmosphere for games, check out the dorms and see the social part of Notre Dame with its campus life,” Blount said. “But basically Notre Dame sells itself. It’s Notre Dame, one of the greatest institutions, if not the best.”
tjames@ndinsider.com
574-235-6214
Twitter: @TJamesNDI
